Attwood responds to UNESCO call for halt to Bushmills Dunes Planning Application
Published on Wed, 27 Jun 2012
by ecomms@doeni.gov.uk.
Alex Attwood today responded to the call from the World Heritage Committee (WHC) to halt the proposed development of Bushmills Dunes on the North Coast.
The WHC called for a halt to the proposed development until its potential impact on the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage property at the Giant’s Causeway has been assessed.Alex Attwood said: “Last week, through the London Government, a letter was sent, on my behalf, to UNESCO. It stated that if UNESCO wished to come to assess the World Heritage site, I would welcome them, meet them, and visit the site with them. I welcome the opportunity to show UNESCO what I am doing to safeguard the site, and hope that the visit will happen soon.
“I will also take the opportunity to outline to UNESCO the decision I have taken in respect of the Bushmills Dunes development and to detail the environmental impact, economic benefit and planning reasons that have informed my decision. I believe that the WHC of UNESCO will very much appreciate how my decision was reached, how I took into full account environmental and heritage issues in addition to planning and economic ones.”
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