Why YOU Must Object to the Blaris Project Development

Why You Must Object to the Blaris Project Before 7th February 2025

The proposed Blaris Project (click to see developers information) represents a severe environmental threat to the River Lagan and Belfast Lough due to chronic and unresolved infrastructure failures in Northern Ireland Water (NI Water). This development must be opposed to prevent further pollution, protect biodiversity, and ensure public health is not jeopardized. The developers are currently seeking public consultation responses, closes 7th February. (click to open the public consultation form)

A Failing Sewerage System: An Unacceptable Risk

NI Water has already acknowledged severe infrastructure issues in the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) area. Mr. Gary Curran, Director of Engineering and Sustainability at NI Water, has addressed these concerns in two letters to the Chief Executive Officer of LCCC dated 31 July 2024 and 15 October 2024. These letters confirm that existing wastewater treatment infrastructure cannot support additional developments, including the Blaris Project.

Treated and untreated sewage is already entering waterways, rivers, lakes, and Belfast Lough. The situation is dire:

• When wastewater treatment works (WwTWs) reach capacity, Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) discharge untreated sewage directly into watercourses.
• Tributaries such as the Ravernet River, near the Blaris Project site, already suffer from sewage spills due to the overwhelmed Ravernet WwTW (NI Water Modelled Spills, May 2024)¹.
• NI Water is now discharging sewage from CSOs even during dry periods, further compounding the pollution crisis.

The Devastating Impact on the River Lagan and Belfast Lough

The River Lagan and Belfast Lough are inextricably linked vital ecosystems, both under increasing threat from sewage pollution. Belfast Lough is designated a Ramsar site due to its ecological significance, particularly as a habitat for migratory birds and internationally important species. However, pollution from failing infrastructure is accelerating environmental degradation:

1. Thousands of cubic meters of untreated or partially treated sewage enters the water annually via CSOs and other infrastructure failures.
2. This pollution reaches the River Lagan and ultimately Belfast Lough, violating environmental protections and posing health risks.
3. Consequences include:
   • Biodiversity loss: Algal blooms from nutrient overloading threaten aquatic life and bird populations.
   • Habitat degradation: Water quality is declining, harming sensitive ecosystems.
   • Public health risks: Pathogens from raw sewage contaminate waters used for recreation and local communities.

Regulatory Failures and NI Water’s Inaction

Dr. Theresa Kearney from the NIEA Wastewater Regulatory Team, in a letter dated 14 January 2025, confirmed that:

• CSOs and Emergency Overflows (EOs) should only operate in heavy rainfall to prevent flooding.
• NI Water has been directed to conduct predictive drainage modelling to assess the frequency of spillages.
• Event and Duration Monitors (EDMs) are being installed to track real-time sewage spills, but this programme is incomplete.

Without full compliance with NIEA directives and completed EDM installations, proceeding with the Blaris Project is reckless and threatens to repeat the Lough Neagh environmental catastrophe.

Dr. Kearney further emphasized that a Draft Statement of Environmental Need (SON) has been issued to NI Water, confirming ongoing environmental risks in the Belfast and Lisburn catchments. This reinforces the urgent need for caution and opposition to the Blaris development.

The Evidence is Overwhelming: NI Water’s Infrastructure Cannot Support New Development

The following sources confirm that NI Water’s infrastructure is unfit to support additional development:

1. Water Quality Reports & Discharge Statistics – The September 2024 Office of Environmental Protection Report, A Review of Implementation of the Water Framework Directive Regulations and River Basin Management Planning in Northern Ireland², states that only 31% of rivers and water bodies meet required ecological standards.
2. NI Water’s Report, The Story of Belfast Lough – This document, from the Living With Water Programme, warns of a grim future of pollution, contaminated beaches, stagnant waters, and sewage debris³.
3. BBC Spotlight Programme, The Sewage Scandal (November 2024) – This investigative programme exposed NI Water’s breaches of legal obligations and the severity of sewage pollution in Belfast Lough⁴.
4. Office of Environmental Protection Biodiversity Report 2024 – This report highlights the accelerating biodiversity crisis caused by environmental mismanagement⁵.
5. Local Reports & Testimonies – Sewage spills threaten Lough’s ‘hero’ mussels, an article detailing the direct impact of sewage pollution on protected species⁶.
6. The Quarterlands Campaign – Our community has been fighting for three years to stop inappropriate developments in the Lagan Valley Regional Park.

How You Can Object to the Blaris Project

You can take action today by formally objecting to this development. Here’s how:

1. Submit an Objection to Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council (LCCC)
   • Reference the infrastructure failings and environmental risks outlined above.
   • Highlight NI Water’s own evidence that the sewerage system cannot cope.
   • Stress the unacceptable risks to the River Lagan, Belfast Lough, and public health.
2. Write to Your Local Representatives
   • Demand accountability and action on NI Water’s failures.
   • Urge them to oppose developments until infrastructure is properly upgraded.
3. Submit Feedback to the Blaris 2025 Public Consultation
   • Visit the consultation page: Blaris 2025 Public Consultation
   • Complete the generic feedback form – this is a crucial step to ensure your objections are formally recorded.
   • Deadline: All feedback must be submitted by February 7th, 2025.
4. Support the Quarterlands Campaign
   • Sign and share our petition against unsustainable development.
   • Engage with our updates on Quarterlands.com.

The Time to Act is Now

If we allow the Blaris Project to proceed under these conditions, we will be complicit in the continued pollution of our rivers, our loughs, and our environment. The evidence is clear: NI Water’s infrastructure is failing, and additional development will only exacerbate this crisis.

Make your voice heard. Object to the Blaris Project today. (click to open the public consultation form)

Check the Sewage Discharges in Your Area Here – (click to open Arcgis Map)

The proposed Blaris Project (click to see developers information) represents a severe environmental threat to the River Lagan and Belfast Lough due to chronic and unresolved infrastructure failures in Northern Ireland Water (NI Water). This development must be opposed to prevent further pollution, protect biodiversity, and ensure public health is not jeopardized. The developers are currently seeking public consultation. (click to open the public consultation form)