Developers claim NT’s effort to block resort plan is trade war

Developers claim NT’s effort to block resort plan is trade warInfrastructure developers in the UK have claimed that the legal attempt by the National Trust to block the development of golf resort near the Giant's Causeway can be interpreted as a trade war.

Lawyers representing the developers told the High Court in Belfast that the bid to block the £100 million golf resort project is based on the National Trust's own commercial interest in the area. The project involves development of golf course, five-star, 120-bedroom hotel and 75 villas at Runkerry near Bushmills.

The trust has said that it is seeking to block the project because it is located near the causeway stones, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site. However, Stephen Shaw QC for the developers said that the commercial unit of the trust is moving to block the project from its economic rival and this reports to a trade war. He pointed out that the trust owns a refurbished 28-bedroom Causeway Hotel, located a five-minute walk from the causeway stones.

The developers have said that the proposed Bushmills resort will create about 360 jobs and additional 300 through suppliers and construction. The trust wants a judicial review of the planning approval and the judgment was approved on Friday.