INFRASTRUCTURE minister Nichola Mallon has requested that the Planning Appeals Commission hold a public inquiry into an application to develop a controversial gold mine in the Sperrin Mountains.
Canadian-based Dalradian Gold wants consent to mine for the valuable metal near Greencastle in Co Tyrone.
Some locals are opposed to the plan on environmental and health grounds, although Dalradian insists the project is safe.
More than 40,000 representations have been submitted about the mine proposal.
In June last year Ms Mallon announced the project would be the subject of an independent public inquiry.
Campaigners said the proposal had not gone far enough to deal with health and environmental concerns and a legal challenge was launched, which is still ongoing.
In a statement last night the minister said: "I am now satisfied that sufficient detail, consultee responses and representations have been provided to allow for robust scrutiny of the application in a public forum and that we should move as soon as practicable to the public inquiry phase in processing this application.
“I have therefore directed that my officials formally request a public inquiry to be held by the Commission."
Ms Mallon said the inquiry "will consider a number of related applications including the gold mine minerals planning application and the two associated powerline applications".
She said it will also consider the "proposed abandonment" of a local road.
Solicitor Darragh Mackin, Of Phoenix Law, who represents campaigners said: “It is imperative that any inquiry encompasses and includes protections to uphold the human rights of the local community.
"This is the subject of an ongoing high court challenge listed in early October.”
