Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge improvement plans submitted
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has received upgrade plans for steps and benches near Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge.
The council recently received a planning application for new, natural stone steps on Carrick-a-rede Island (Northern Steps), replacement steps on the mainland (Southern Steps), and a bench at the access point to the bridge
An accompanying Design and Access Statement said the bridge and island is one of the most popular National Trust-maintained visitor attractions in Northern Ireland, and as such is vulnerable to “various management challenges” including localised surface erosion.
“Visitor parking and well-surfaced approach paths to the island have been constructed in recent years,” the statement added. “To date little construction work has been undertaken to address steeper section of publicly accessible routes on the island, resulting in an increasingly hazardous surface.”
“The primary objectives for the proposal are to create a safe walking surface.
“Materials should be sensitive to the surrounding landscape character and environmental heritage of this site.
“The proposed steps and any associated railings /fencing feels naturally connected to this sensitive environment and every effort should be made to deliver a solution with broad user inclusivity, whilst accepted the restricted accessibility inherent to this particular attraction.”