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Situation as of 29 January 2008
The National Trust responds to announcement by Arlene Foster, Minister of the Environment.
The National Trust has responded to the announcement in the Assembly by Environment Minister, Arlene Foster, to issue a notice of intention to refuse the application for additional visitor facilities at the Giant’s Causeway by Seaport Investments Ltd.
The National Trust’s Director for Northern Ireland, Hilary McGrady, commented:
'This is a good day for planning and landscape protection. The Ministers’ decision will protect the integrity of the Giant’s Causeway World Heritage Site and its setting. It is in line with existing and proposed planning guidance.
'In November, the Trust reached an agreement with Moyle District Council to take the lead in the delivery of world class visitor facilities at the Giant’s Causeway. Since then we have been working towards submitting a planning application based on the design concept by heneghan.peng. We are working hard on this detailed process and are confident that, subject to planning conditions, we will have this application ready by late Spring.'
The Trust Director continued;
'Our goals remain the same. We remain focused on achieving a solution that will provide new visitor facilities at the Causeway of a world-class standard, provide good value to the public purse and is timely. We are also committed to ensuring that UNESCO’s requirements for the protection of the World Heritage Site are met.'
Situation as of 5 December 2007
The National Trust and Moyle District Council announce joint initiative to deliver Giant's Causeway solution.
The National Trust and Moyle District Council have announced their intention to bring forward world class visitor facilities at the Giant’s Causeway. The Trust and the Council met on 26 November with Enterprise Minister Nigel Dodds and his officials to outline their proposal for the delivery of visitor facilities at the World Heritage Site, which will be led by the National Trust.
Moyle District Council agreed in November to negotiate a lease of its property at the Giant’s Causeway to the National Trust to ensure the realisation of new facilities on the current site based on the international competition winning design.
© NTPL / Joe Cornish
Following the meeting, Madeline Black, Chair of Moyle District Council, said:
'We had a really positive meeting with the Minister and his officials. Moyle District Council strongly believes that visitor facilities at the Giant’s Causeway should remain in public ownership and that income generated at the site should be reinvested there and in the wider area. Any future management arrangements must ensure that Moyle ratepayers’ interests are not adversely affected.'
'We have agreed to negotiate a lease of our property to the National Trust so that the Causeway can finally have world class facilities which all parties, including Government, recognise it needs. The position that we are discussing with the National Trust will allow this to happen and guarantees the protection of the site for the future.'
© NTPL / Joe Cornish
Hilary McGrady, the National Trust’s Director for Northern Ireland, added:
'Our goals are the same as those of Minister Dodds. We too want to ensure that new visitor facilities at the Causeway will be of a world-class standard, provide good value to the public purse and are timely. We are also committed to ensuring that UNESCO’s requirements for the protection of the World Heritage Site are met. The approach proposed by the National Trust and Moyle District Council is the only way that all four of these key objectives can be delivered.' - For further information please contact Maurica Lavery, Communications and Marketing Manager on 028 9752 2329
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