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| Go-ahead for £18m Causeway centre | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A National Trust plan for an £18m visitor centre at the Giant's Causeway has been backed by Environment Minister Sammy Wilson. | A National Trust plan for an £18m visitor centre at the Giant's Causeway has been backed by Environment Minister Sammy Wilson. |
| The previous centre at the County Antrim World Heritage Site burned down in 2000 and a temporary building has been used since then. | The previous centre at the County Antrim World Heritage Site burned down in 2000 and a temporary building has been used since then. |
| Speaking at Stormont, Mr Wilson said that the public "rightly expects some clear direction" on the issue. | Speaking at Stormont, Mr Wilson said that the public "rightly expects some clear direction" on the issue. |
| He said he "weighed up" all the options before picking the Trust's plan. | He said he "weighed up" all the options before picking the Trust's plan. |
| "I have, therefore, weighed up all options including the merits of referring this application to the Planning Appeals Commission either on its own or conjoined with a hearing into the previous unsuccessful application from a private developer. | "I have, therefore, weighed up all options including the merits of referring this application to the Planning Appeals Commission either on its own or conjoined with a hearing into the previous unsuccessful application from a private developer. |
| "Neither of these options would be of any public benefit and would introduce further delay into the provision of the facility and lengthen the already unacceptably long period during which our top tourist attraction has been without a visitors' centre. | "Neither of these options would be of any public benefit and would introduce further delay into the provision of the facility and lengthen the already unacceptably long period during which our top tourist attraction has been without a visitors' centre. |
| "Clearly this would not be in the public interest. Having considered all matters relevant to this case, I have authorised a Notice of Opinion to approve the National Trust application." | "Clearly this would not be in the public interest. Having considered all matters relevant to this case, I have authorised a Notice of Opinion to approve the National Trust application." |
| The National Trust submitted an application in June 2008 based on a design by the Dublin-based architects, Heneghan Peng, who won an International Design Competition for a visitors' centre in 2005. | The National Trust submitted an application in June 2008 based on a design by the Dublin-based architects, Heneghan Peng, who won an International Design Competition for a visitors' centre in 2005. |
| It is envisaged that the Trust's centre will be open to the public by 2011. | It is envisaged that the Trust's centre will be open to the public by 2011. |
| An alternative plan from private developer Seymour Sweeney was turned down last year. | |
| Mr Sweeney recently launched a court challenge against the DoE, over its handling of the two proposals. |