Northern Area Plan 2016
Strategic Countryside and Coast: Giant's Causeway World Heritage Site

UNESCO gave approval for the designation of the Giant’s Causeway as a World Heritage Site (WHS) in 1986. Interim planning policy on this as the Region’s only WHS was contained in Policy BH 5 of PPS 6: Planning, Archaeology and the Built Heritage. This is now superseded by the policies in this Plan.

The Causeway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan was produced by the Environment and Heritage Service in April 2003. This examines not only the AONB, but also its relationship with the WHS in the context of the AONB. It makes it clear that the setting of the WHS is not to be confused with policy relating to the AONB designation, although the AONB landscape is inextricably linked to the WHS. The setting of the WHS extends into the seascape.

The Management Plan identified three categories of setting: distinctive, supportive and connective. The Department has reviewed these landscape settings and established boundaries relating to physical features or historic townland boundaries. It has merged the Supportive and Connective Landscape Settings using inter-visibility between the WHS and its surrounding hinterland that provides a setting to its approaches as the key criterion. The Department will refer to the Management Plan, where appropriate, in respect of development proposals in either of these areas.

The Plan also designates an Area of Constraint on Mineral Developments over the WHS and its settings. In addition to this, and its designations as an AONB, much of the WHS is subject to a hierarchy of scientific designations to protect its earth science and nature conservation interest.

The Causeway Coast AONB Management Plan identified a number of transportation related issues which affect the movement of people and vehicles into and throughout the AONB. The Department of Regional Development’s Roads Service will co-operate with the proposed Causeway Coast Management Group which is being set up to oversee delivery of the actions identified in the Plan.

The Giant’s Causeway WHS is unique, and both an environmental and economic asset to the Plan area and to Northern Ireland as a whole. The Causeway and its immediate environment remain relatively untouched by intrusive human activity, and should remain so. The Department is, however, conscious of its importance to the Northern Ireland economy as a key visitor attraction, and the need to provide appropriate essential facilities in the vicinity to meet visitor needs. The Department considers essential facilities to include a high quality reception and interpretation facility for the understanding and enjoyment of the WHS. Associated facilities may include ancillary catering and retailing for use by visitors. Attractions associated with the site, but not essential for visitor needs will not be acceptable, nor will development generally. Any development will be required to be sited and designed not to cause detriment to the landscape, which is intrinsic to the site’s appreciation, or to scientific interest.

The landscape closely associated with the World Heritage Site extends several kilometres south from the Site and is visually intrinsically linked, providing both a backdrop for visitors within the Site and a foreground for visitors approaching the Site.

Development proposals within the Distinctive Landscape Setting of the Giant’s Causeway World Heritage Site will be subject to particular scrutiny. The Department considers some visitor related development is acceptable in this area, however, it should be small in scale, both in terms of built form and be directly related to the WHS and require a location in proximity to it, rather than a facility to meet the needs of visitors to the general area. Historically, vernacular dwellings related to the traditional agricultural use of the land and accommodated farming families and workers. Houses were small in mass and scale, and normally single storey, with any extensions appearing as subservient elements to the main structure. The Distinctive Landscape is located within the Causeway Coast AONB, where sensitive development is required.

The relationship of this landscape to the World Heritage Site requires an even stricter approach to development proposals than elsewhere in the AONB, to ensure the balance between landscape and built form is not adversely affected with buildings appearing over-dominant and out of historic context. The Department, therefore, imposes restrictions on the scale of extensions and replacement dwellings to avoid this arising. The Department will seek improvements to the landscape setting where these are appropriate, and are related to the development proposed.

The Supportive Landscape Setting incorporates a secondary area south of the Distinctive Landscape but is also significantly visually interrelated with the World Heritage Site. It incorporates an area east, south and west of Bushmills as identified on the Countryside Maps.

Proposals for tourist related development will be assessed against the relevant tourism policies of the Plan, and in addition, the above requirements that they will directly relate to the requirements of visitors to the World Heritage Site and will be of modest scale. In respect of residential development within the Supportive Setting, prevailing regional policies apply.