A legal challenge over cuts to the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme (RHI) is to take place in November.

The case is being brought forward by Ballymoney poultry producer Tom Forgrave on behalf of the Renewable Heat Association for NI (RHANI).

The latest RHI tariffs cuts came into effect in April 2019 and meant annual payments for a standard 99kW boiler reduced from £13,420 to £2,210.

A judicial review on the matter has been delayed several times since proceedings were initiated in March 2019. The latest postponement in June 2020 was due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The hearing will now take place in the High Court in Belfast over four days from 9 November. It will be socially distanced with only legal representatives present and an online broadcast will be available to a limited audience.

RHANI is also preparing to appeal the judgement of its unsuccessful legal challenge to the first RHI tariff cuts which were introduced in 2017.

In a note circulated among members, the group’s executive chair Andrew Trimble said it was likely that this case will not be heard until mid-2021.

If the judgement in November’s case is also appealed by the unsuccessful party, the two cases could be heard in a joint hearing in the Court of Appeal next year.

Meanwhile, figures published by the RHI Inquiry on Monday show direct costs associated with the public inquiry came to £7.4m. Previously published figures show that government departments paid out a further £5.5m in legal fees.

When added together, the RHI Inquiry cost taxpayers almost £13m, although this does not include costs associated with civil servants’ time spent working on the case.