Wilson approves causeway visitors' centre proposal

Environment Minister Sammy Wilson today granted planning permission for a new visitors' centre at the Giant's Causeway.

Plans for the new tourist facility were submitted last June by the National Trust.

The Minister said: "Eight years have passed since the previous visitors' centre at the Giant's Causeway was burnt down.

"Given the Giant's Causeway's key role as Northern Ireland's premier tourist attraction, the public rightly expects some clear direction from a devolved minister on this matter.

"I have, therefore, weighed up all options including the merits of referring this application to the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC), either on its own or conjoined with a hearing into the previous unsuccessful application from a private developer.

"Neither of these options would be of any public benefit and would introduce further delay into the provision of the facility and lengthen the already unacceptably long period during which our top tourist attraction has been without a visitors' centre.

"Clearly this would not be in the public interest. Having considered all matters relevant to this case, I have authorised a Notice of Opinion to approve the National Trust application."

Notes to Editors:

1. The National Trust submitted an application in June 2008 based on a design by the Dublin-based architects, Heneghan Peng who won an International Design Competition for a visitors' centre in 2005.
2. A previous planning application for a privately funded visitors' centre was submitted in February 2002 but was rejected in January 2008 by the then Environment Minister Arlene Foster.
3. For media enquiries please contact DOE Press Office 028 9054 0014 or out of office hours, contact the EIS Duty Press Officer on pager 07699 715 440.