Runkerry decision within 10 weeks – Attwood
Published on Tue, 20 Sep 2011
by comms@doeni.gov.uk.
Environment Minister Alex Attwood today pledged to make a decision on the planning application for a golf resort at Runkerry within 10 weeks.
The planning application includes a hotel, guest lodges and a links golf course at Runkerry, Bushmills.
Alex Attwood said: “Three weeks ago I instructed planning officials to bring forward papers on the planning application at Runkerry and to do so by the end of November. It is my view that all issues around this application have been or are being exhaustively interrogated. It is time to make a decision. I plan to do so. I will carefully and fully weigh all factors – environmental, World Heritage Status at the Giant’s Causeway, economic benefit and others - in making the decision.
“If there are other applications in the planning system with significant economic benefits and which have also suffered from delay or doubt, that need to be determined and are capable of being determined, I plan to do so. Officials have also been assessing all Article 31 applications to identify how to best move them forward. This is part of the picture of making planning fully responsive to economic demands.
“In addition, I have told my planning and environment officials that I do not want to see issues being raised late on in the application process or on a piecemeal basis. This will be instrumental to the further speeding up of the planning system, so that applicants, crucially for major economic projects, know as early as possible if there is a green or red light.”
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