The High Court has dismissed a challenge to approval for a major electricity substation and grid connection intended to serve the Ballysallagh Solar Farm in County Cork.
Gretta and Michael Connolly sought to quash An Coimisiún Pleanála's July 2025 approval for a 220kV substation and approximately 10.2km underground grid connection to the existing Knockraha substation. The infrastructure is intended to connect a proposed 179-hectare solar farm spanning several townlands to the national grid.
Mr Justice Richard Humphreys rejected all three core grounds of challenge on 17 April 2026.
The Connollys argued that the development lands should effectively be treated as zoned Agriculture under the Cork County Development Plan and that the substation conflicted with policies protecting agricultural land. The court held that agricultural use of land was not the same as the plan's specific Agriculture zoning designation. Instead, the site was subject to a residual zoning based on its existing authorised use.
They also argued that approval of the grid infrastructure was premature because the solar farm itself had not yet been approved when the commission made its decision. Cork County Council later refused the solar farm application in September 2025, citing archaeology, visual impact and drainage concerns, but that refusal was overturned by An Coimisiún Pleanála in February 2026.
The judge held that large projects can lawfully be consented in separate stages and that there was no rule requiring reasonable certainty that every later consent would be granted before an earlier element could be approved. He found the commission was aware of the solar farm application and had considered the relevant planning and environmental issues.
The court also rejected claims that renewable-energy policies in the development plan had been misapplied.
The proceedings were dismissed. The proposed order was for no order as to costs unless a party made a contrary application within the timetable set by the court.