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11/09/2007
Assembly To Debate Giant's Causeway Visitor Centre
The Northern Ireland Assembly is to debate plans to accept a private planning application for a visitor's centre at the Giant's Causeway.
Environment Minister Arlene Foster has indicated she is "of a mind to approve" the separate planning application from Seaport Investment for the centre.
Enterprise Trade and Investment Minister Nigel Dodds said that the project would cost more than £21 million and said that it would not be a "prudent use of taxpayers' money" to proceed with the project, given Ms Foster's consideration of the private planning application.
Mr Dodds said that the Department and Northern Ireland Tourist Board had only become involved as "a potential developer of last resort", because key stakeholders were "unable, over an extended period of time, to reach agreement".
More than £1 million had been spent on the project so far by the department.
The previous visitor's centre had burned down in April 2000.
Nearly 500,000 people visit the Causeway, known for its polygonal columns of layered basalt, every year.
It is the only World Heritage Site in Northern Ireland.
(KMcA/SP)
Environment Minister Arlene Foster has indicated she is "of a mind to approve" the separate planning application from Seaport Investment for the centre.
Enterprise Trade and Investment Minister Nigel Dodds said that the project would cost more than £21 million and said that it would not be a "prudent use of taxpayers' money" to proceed with the project, given Ms Foster's consideration of the private planning application.
Mr Dodds said that the Department and Northern Ireland Tourist Board had only become involved as "a potential developer of last resort", because key stakeholders were "unable, over an extended period of time, to reach agreement".
More than £1 million had been spent on the project so far by the department.
The previous visitor's centre had burned down in April 2000.
Nearly 500,000 people visit the Causeway, known for its polygonal columns of layered basalt, every year.
It is the only World Heritage Site in Northern Ireland.
(KMcA/SP)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:The day will be very windy with strong to gale force westerly winds becoming occasionally severe along the north coast. Sunny spells will be interspersed with scattered showers. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:West to northwest gale force winds, severe along the north coast, will continue overnight. Frequent showers persist, merging into longer periods of rain at times and turning wintry. Minimum temperature 1 °C.
