Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Environment minister issues ‘notice of opinion to refuse’ private Causeway development
As anticipated yesterday the Northern Ireland Executive’s Environment minister, the DUP’s Arlene Foster, has made a statement to the Assembly and announced that a notice of opinion to refuse the planning application by Seymour Sweeney for his private development of the Causeway Visitors Centre has been issued - despite being “of a mind to approve” it previously. No sign of of any other matters yet.. But all documentation relating to the decision are now to be released.. The discussion continues live here. I’ll add links when available. Adds Apparently, according to the minister, being “of a mind to approve” is not the same as being “minded to approve”.. And From Mark Devenport’s blog - “If she had done this in the first place just think of the acres of newsprint that could have been saved.” Indeed. Update Some quotes from this report And The official ministerial statement
Arlene Foster, who last year said she was minded to back a bid by private developer Seymour Sweeney, told MLAs in the Stormont Assembly she has now changed her mind. She said she had decided against the bid over planning concerns. “There are serious doubts that the proposed development would adequately integrate into the landscape and it would add to the spread of development at this sensitive location,” the DUP minister said. “I have therefore concluded on balance and on further reflection that the application should be refused.”
Pete Baker @ 08:39 AM
Ulsterfan
Lets not take our eye of the ball.
We still do not have a world class visitors centre.Too true its a very important building.
As for Moyle Council and the National Trust somehow I can’t see us getting anything that will frighten the horses. It will have braced and framed timber doors painted Buckingham Green with black Japanned Ironmongery and will smell lavender. The WI will love it.
Let’s invite Libeskind to have a look at it.
More than anything else I wish they would repair the lower path beyond the causeway. In my opinion a greater educational resource than the Causeway.Totally off subject; does anyone know whatever happened to the Gobbin’s path project in Islandmagee?
Posted by on Jan 30, 2008 @ 12:57 AMTotally off subject; does anyone know whatever happened to the Gobbin’s path project in Islandmagee?
Yep, last week…..
AN ambitious £6 million scheme to reinstate the Gobbins path network to its Victorian heyday was unveiled this week.
Larne Council unanimously backed Belfast-based consultancy Scott Wilson’s proposals at a meeting on Monday.The total cost of the project is just under £6 million - around half of which will be needed to pay for path restoration and £1.5 million for a new visitors’ centre. More funding will be needed for surveys, an upper clifftop path and land purchases. The council’s projected input is £2 million over two years.
Gordon Clarke, from Scott Wilson consultancy, said that the Gobbins path was the number one tourist attraction in Northern Ireland in its day - “more so than the Giant’s Causeway. There’s nothing like the path in the world.”
The overall concept includes restoration of the Gobbins path from Wise’s Eye to Gordon’s Leap, paid access for the public, a new visitors’ centre - sharing facilities with the Islandmagee residents’ association - an advance booking system, an upper cliff path for those with limited mobility and a choice of guided tours.
Mr Clarke said: “It’s about understanding the ecology - it will be a really fantastic experience. There will be small groups with a guide explaining things as they go along.”
Judith Annett, from Scott Wilson’s, said that tour operators are very happy with the plans, adding: “The restoration can be achieved with minimum environmental impact. It should have minimum impact on local roads.There’ a critical bird survey that needs to be done.”
Scott Wilson’s envisage access to the paths costing £6 per head, to include special gear and a guided tour. If the project is realised the paths should attract around 50,000 visitors in the first year, rising to 70,000, Mr Clarke said. Until the fourth year, councillors heard, the project is likely to incur a small deficit but after that time it will generate a surplus of around £38,000. Annual running costs are expected to be £485,000.
Time is of the essence, councillors were told, as design maps must be produced, discussions arranged with landowners and a bird survey commissioned.
Members agreed unanimously to support and encourage the proposals. Money from the current budget will be used to pay for the bird survey, which should start next month.
Posted by on Jan 30, 2008 @ 10:07 AMThis is an Article 31 application so the ball is still in play!!
“How are Article 31 applications determined?
When the Department decides to apply the Article 31 procedure to a planning application, it has the option of:
* serving on the applicant, a Notice of Opinion either to approve or refuse planning permission; or
* causing the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) to hold a public local inquiry, for the purpose of considering representations made in respect of the application, and to report on the outcome of the inquiry. The Department shall, in determining the application to which the Article 31 procedures have been applied, take the report of the PAC into account. The decision of the Department is final.At any time up to at least 28 days from the date of service of a Notice of Opinion, an applicant may also request a Hearing before the PAC. As before, the Department shall, in determining the application to which the Article 31 procedures have been applied, take the report of the PAC into account. The decision of the Department on Article 31 applications is final.”
So we’re in limbo for up to 28 says, it seems!!
Posted by on Jan 30, 2008 @ 10:11 AMGobbins
THANKS.
That is very good news and has brightened my day. Been out of the country so tend to lose track.
Posted by on Jan 30, 2008 @ 11:58 AMGobbins Trip Souvenir Guide [pdf file]
Posted by on Jan 30, 2008 @ 12:54 PMNevin
Much appreciated.
I think there is great potential for tourism in NI generally if we offer enough attractions other than just the natural environment. Nothing too over the top mind you. You need walks and activities. The Gobbins is one that has alway interested me and i could see it being reasonably popular.
On the Causeway is there any possibility that the lower path beyond the causeway will be opened? It really is of considerable educational value. There are interesting micro climates, vegetation and the geology is just superb. There is a great sense of place and enclosure that you just don’t get walking along the top of the cliffs. You have to be down in it to appreciate it. It really is outstanding and should be reopened. As far as I can see there is only one section that is a bit ‘risky’.
The Tourist industry along the whole Antrim Coast could take off. It is quite outstanding scenery and the Causeway is the anchor.
Posted by on Jan 30, 2008 @ 01:23 PM“You need walks and activities”
Crataegus, the Executive ought to update the 1983 Countryside Order. The Ballintoy-White Park Bay part of the Causeway Coastal Path has been blocked for about six months and Moyle Council appears to be impotent. I understand the closure might be linked to an earlier dispute between the landowner and the National Trust.
I’ve not seen any discussion on the future of the lower path.
Posted by on Jan 30, 2008 @ 06:45 PMNevin
I agree, shame that the lower path seems to have been forgotten it really is superb. It is one of the most interesting walks in Ireland and a real educational resource.
I have walked the Ballintoy- White Park Bay section on many occassions. A real shame it is blocked . We do need to open up the countryside, extend the number of footpaths and encourage people to use them. More people in the countryside also means more opportunity for creating wealth and local employment. Where I think we also fail is we tend to be ultra purist and alienate potential supporters. I can quite understand how some in the NT could inadvertently cause this sort of problem.
If more people are using the countryside as a leisure facility you need, places where people can have a meal, or sleep the night. I am not suggesting that we have unbridled development but it is an aspect that does need careful consideration and does need to be included.
Also people who own the land, do need to be accommodated and brought on board. They do have to earn their living on the land and raise their families. There is a tendency to treat the countryside as something that should be maintained in aspic as a vast Museum piece and I think that that is utter folly.
If anyone is walking along this portion of the north coast and it involves White Park Bay time your activity with the tides. High tide closes both ends of the bay. Get a bus along the coast and spend the day walking back. On a good day highly recommended. Give it a go this summer!
Posted by on Jan 30, 2008 @ 11:56 PMCrataegus, I’m told that the future of the lower path is under (not very) active consideration. It’s possible that part of it will be brought back into use but other parts might require the sort of metal walk way that exists/existed at the Gobbins. Such a structure could be in conflict with the Causeway’s World Heritage status.
Then there’s the future of the headland path. It seems that the Sweeney/Seaport case at Runkerry and the willingness of Moyle Council to block public access near Runkerry has put ideas into the heads of landowners on the Causeway Coastal Path, ideas that could lead to less access rather than more.
Perhaps Arlene Foster needs to ‘encourage’ Moyle Council to carry out its responsibilities as specified in the 1983 Countryside Order and, if necessary, use the power of her office to balance the power of developers et al who may be tempted to use the legal process as a blunt instrument to curb public access, access that may have been in place and availed of for many generations.
Posted by on Jan 31, 2008 @ 10:34 AMNevin
Firstly on the lower path, it is not often that I get enthused. They would do well to have a closer look at it. It has real potential. There is one section that I know of that has problems with a scree but where there is a will there is a way.
There is a nice feeling of enclosure in these bays and if you go through there with children it is very easy to get them interested in the flora, the fauna and the geology. They love it! It is a landscape of high drama, of columns, cliffs and dykes. You can see the layers of lava and all sorts of interesting features. It is much much more interesting than the Causeway itself. You are right down in it and it is highly theatrical especially for the young.
On access generally, utterly dismal. That sort of attitude really does need to stop. I am a developer, (I now work abroad), but I simply cannot understand this sort of mentality. It is the wrong way to go. If I owned land in the area I would want to improve access and make the most of the potential opportunities.
This however is where you can get it very wrong, you need to include the needs of the local land owners and have a few carrots to dangle in front of them. Some attitudes by those wishing to improve or retain the environment can be extremely sanctimonious. They have a tendency to preach and try to maintain what is there and restrict rather than manage change.
It has to be asked, if the NT can run a tea room why can’t farmer Brown’s wife? If we have a visitors centre and car park why can’t Jones run a B&B;or someone else build an extension to accommodate their son?
Obviously we need to be careful, exceedingly careful, in this location, but time spent finding out the concerns and reasonable interests of many of the landowners and how they can be accommodated would be time well spent.
I have had an experience some years back of a couple of quango types descending on me demanding I do all sorts of things. The request was related to something I supported but I found the attitude utterly high handed.
Questions that are worth asking are, if we improve public access what is in it for local land owners? What are the disadvantages for them and can they develop potential assets (in a suitable way) to offset the disadvantages. There are very real disadvantages as not all people behave responsibly.
Yes Arelene Foster should lean on Moyle.Posted by on Jan 31, 2008 @ 02:16 PM
