FREE access to remain at Causeway

Concerns had been expressed in recent weeks by councillors that a realignment of a road could stop the public from being able to walk in by the site of the new Visitors’ Centre without paying to get down to the world famous basalt stones.

One of the councillors who was concerned about the situation was Bushmills DUP councillor Davy McAllister (pictured) but now councillors have been told the public will be able to continue to walk through the site free of charge if they wish.

In recent weeks Cllr McAllister said Moyle Council had a "worldwide duty" to ensure a public right of way to the Giant's Causeway remained.

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of Moyle Council, Cllr Cara McShane (Sinn Fein), said she hopes Moyle Council and the National Trust can develop a positive partnership with the National Trust over the Giant’s Causeway site to maximise the potential for tourism in the district.

She said the proposed new Visitors Centre at the Causeway has been a long time coming but is glad they got there in the end.

She said the Heritage Lottery Fund predict there could be up to one million visitors a year.

She was speaking after a number of agreements were put in place between the Council and the Trust which was seen as one of the last pieces of the handover jigsaw.

In another development it has emerged, the big freeze had a big impact on the number of people visiting the Causeway in January.

The visitors centre was closed for a number of days as a result of the snow and ice and official figures show the Causeway had its worst January figure compared to the three previous years.

In January this year there were 11,786 confirmed visitors to the Giant’s Causeway Visitors’ Centre compared to over 19,500 in January last year; nearly 18,000 in January 2008 and around 15,500 in January 2007.

Moyle Council officer Kevin McGarry admitted: “The weather was atrocious. There were not too many visitors about, that is why the figures are down.”