Charity to build 'appropriate' visitors' centre at Causeway
A charity said today it would build a visitors’ centre at a popular World Heritage Site but that the development would be appropriate for the beauty spot.
The 52-member National Trust governing council gave the assurances after it visited the Giant’s Causeway and its surroundings - Northern Ireland’s only World Heritage Site - yesterday.
In a letter the council said: ‘‘As custodian of the World Heritage Site, the National Trust is committed to promoting public access and enjoyment of the area whilst remaining steadfast in its duty to protect the site from piecemeal and intrusive development.’’
Council members recognised the need for new visitor facilities to replace the Giant’s Causeway Visitors’ Centre, which was largely destroyed by fire two years ago.
The council said new facilities should be ‘‘appropriate to a World Heritage Site,’’ and able to ‘‘meet the needs of very large numbers of visitors.’’
In particular, they urged that the provision of new facilities should ‘‘follow the principles of securing least environmental impact, maximum social benefit and reinvestment of income in the care and upkeep of Northern Ireland’s natural and built heritage.’’
The council said it believed that a partnership approach to the development of appropriate visitor facilities at the Causeway, would provide the best way forward to resolve the challenging issue.
The National Trust also welcomed the Department for the Environment’s commitment to the protection of the Causeway and its setting and urged Environment Minister Dermot Nesbitt and his officials to ensure that effective safeguards are in place to protect the Causeway and its setting.
Director-General Fiona Reynolds, who was among the visiting council party said the Trust had to do everything it could to protect the Causeway from the pressures of development.
She said: ‘‘The Giant’s Causeway is a unique natural phenomenon which we must ensure is not threatened in any way.
‘‘Yesterday’s visit by the council and its statement of support demonstrates the trust’s commitment to ensuring the protection of the Causeway.’’
Regional Director Ruth Laird said: ‘‘We are delighted that the council members have had an opportunity to appreciate at first hand the beauty of the Giant’s Causeway and have given their unequivocal support to our efforts to ensure the protection of this unique natural asset.’’
