Bushmills Dunes project under fire

12 June 2012

The UK’s National Trust is attempting to delay the construction of the Bushmills Dunes golf resort in Northern Ireland by applying for a judicial review of the planning decision, the course’s developer has claimed.

The Trust owns the nearby World Heritage Site of the Giant’s Causeway, and was prominent in objecting to the planned resort. Northern Ireland Environment Minister Alex Attwood approved the planning application in February, after a ten year process, but developer Dr Alistair Hanna accused the organisation of attempting to slow down the project still further.

“The National Trust is asking for leave to initiate a judicial review on Bushmills Dunes. This is a delaying tactic,” he said. “Those who instigate judicial reviews cost taxpayers money and slow down development despite knowing the process can't improve the decision.”

A spokesperson for the Trust confirmed it had written to the Department of the Environment to raise concerns, and was considering the response.

David McLay Kidd is slated to design the course, which the developers had hoped to have open by 2014.

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Comments:

Stephen Killick , United Kingdom (12th June 2012)

But why, why, why is anyone building a golf course in the current European economic climate? And all the clap trap about mass employment usually means builders whilst the contract is on and then the majority of menial young staff on a minimum wage.

Once again a golf course, even one designed by such a talented architect, merely masks the major plan to build a socking great hotel and loads of Identikit holiday homes and say what a sensitive job with the environment everyone is doing.

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