All areas of possible concern over a proposed controversial golf course development near the Giant’s Causeway have been looked at and changes made, the First Minister said.
Last month, the National Trust announced it was seeking leave for a judicial review concerning a decision to build an 18-hole course and hotel complex at Runkerry near the causeway.
Ministers across all the political parties are said to be taking a dim view of the challenge.
Peter Robinson said: “If you are going to advance as a tourism destination for Northern Ireland as a whole then the whole of the tourist product has to be upgraded and increased.”
He added: “All of the possible areas of detriment have been looked at, changes have been made to the proposal.”
The National Trust announced recently that it was seeking a judicial review of the planning ruling.
The organisation said it had “consistently opposed the planning application”.
It added that, in particular, it was concerned that the entire development was on land zoned in the draft Northern Area Plan as the “distinctive landscape setting of the World Heritage Site in which no development should take place”.
Unesco, the UN body in charge of heritage, also said it intends asking its World Heritage Committee to request the UK Government put a stop to the development until its potential impact has been assessed.
Experts at the organisation expressed concern that the development was too close to the causeway stones.





Comments