Action soon on ‘neglect’ at the Gleno waterfall

MP Sammy Wilson with a broken handrail at the National Trust's Gleno waterfall site. INLT-04-700-con

Mr Wilson, who regularly visits the waterfall walk at Gleno, says he has noticed a deterioration in facilities at the site.

The Trust, meanwhile, has said it expects improvement works to be complete by the summer.

Mr Wilson said: “The waterfall at Gleno is an idyllic place,but it has been neglected by the National Trust.

“There are broken handrails above drops of 100 feet which have been left to break and deteriorate. There are seats to sit on and look over the falls which have been broken and left to rot away. The paths themselves have begun to deteriorate,.

“The wooden parts of the steps are collapsing, and in some cases the soil is seeping through. There are steep steps which people could trip on.”

Mr Wilson also claimed: “The National Trust gets millions of pounds every year and only a few thousand would fix this.”

Describing Gleno as a “hidden gem” which had been “shamefully neglected” the DUP MP added: “Given the disgraceful lack of maintenance, I can see why families may not be rushing to explore it.

“Tourists would love to see it with its rock basin and beech trees. More should be done to promote it. We need to make the most of the tourism assets that we have.”

Mr Wilson raised fears about the safety of visitors to Gleno in its current state. He stated: “It’s only a matter of time before someone’s seriously injured.”

A spokesperson for the National Trust said: “As a conservation charity we look after a range of special places across Northern Ireland, including Gleno. It is an integral part of the Causeway Coastal route, with one of the most picturesque waterfalls in Northern Ireland, making it an attractive place for locals and tourists to visit.

“We do recognise that improvements are needed at Gleno, and preliminary surveys have already taken place to establish the extent of repairs needed and also the cost of such improvements. We expect work to be completed in time for summer 2015, with any urgent works to paths and handrails prioritised.”

as part of the process.”