NEW PLAN TO BOOST CAUSEWAY COAST TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

THE Giant’s Causeway and surrounding area is to receive a much-needed boost in the form of a new management plan aimed at creating a sustainable future for one of Northern Ireland’s premier tourist attractions.

Last year the area suffered a financial setback when the Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre was largely destroyed by fire. Northern Ireland Environment Minister, Sam Foster, welcomed the redevelopment of the site but expressed his concern that without careful planning, the continued conservation of both the Causeway and the surrounding landscape could be in jeopardy.

He said he had therefore asked his officials to begin work on the preparation of a Management Plan for the Causeway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

He added: “The AONB covers the coast and its immediate hinterland from Portrush to Ballycastle and includes the Giant’s Causeway, White Park Bay and many other important natural and historical features, of which some, like the Causeway itself, are of international significance.”

Moyle Council is also to highlight to potential developers that the Giant’s Causeway - which is owned by the National Trust - is a natural phenomenon of international renown and has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This means that the Department of the Environment has a responsibility to safeguard the site, the remit of which extends to protecting its setting and presentation as well as the physical stones themselves. (CL)