High Court, on a preliminary issue in a case concerning the applicant's main challenge to a Laois County Council general administrative policy of charging a fee to prospective residents for the provision of on-site wastewater disposal systems analysis by certain qualified chartered engineers, finds that: a) the applicant has the requisite standing to bring the said proceedings owing to his qualifications and economic interest in providing the service at issue; and b) that the applicant is within time to bring proceedings as the council's policy is a general one accruing on a daily basis.
Preliminary issue - whether applicant, a chartered engineer based some 160km from County Laois, has standing to challenge administrative practice of Laois County Council pursuant to planning regulations - applicant a qualified individual to carry out statutory site assessments concerning the proposed disposal of wastewater - council charge of €550 in order to provide the services of an engineer to conduct assessment - applicant wrote to council asking it to desist from the practice of imposing this charge - council disputes applicant's standing to challenge legality of this practice - whether applicant could conduct site visits in Laois in a commercially viable way in order to grant him an interest in the matter - applicant has not previously undertaken work on behalf of the respondent - whether this fact should lay against him - whether applicant out of time to bring proceedings by some five days - policy of council a general one with a daily accrual of time, so applicant within time - applicant has standing and is in time to commence proceedings.