The Court ruled the licence for the proposal should have been referred to the whole Executive.

“Myself and my colleague Stewart Dickson have been supporting the campaigners fighting against the construction of gas caverns for many years, and this judgement is testament to their hard work,” said Mr Donnelly.

“I applaud their commitment, particularly the residents of Islandmagee, who are rightly concerned about the impact this project would have on the local environment. I applaud their commitment to protecting the environment for future generations. 

“We are in a climate emergency and as such we should be reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, not increasing their use. These gas caverns are not wanted or needed. Their creation would have created a dead zone in the sea off the coast.

“I hope this is the end, not only of this project but any other fossil fuel projects, either in East Antrim or anywhere else in Northern Ireland.”