Restoring Gobbins Coastal Path
well and is set to be fully completed by December 2014. The £7 million project will see Gobbins Cliff Path restored, after it fell into a state of disrepair following its closure in 1954. Many of the original metalwork structures and rails had been damaged or collapsed because of rust and the action of the sea. Since receiving funds in January 2013 Larne Borough Council began working on the scheme to revamp the coastal path and surrounding area. The path was initially built in 1902 and
T
in its heyday attracted more visitors than the Giant’s Causeway. The original path was designed by Berkley Dean Wise for
the Belfast and Northern Counties
Railway Company as a commercial ven- ture to attract passengers to use their rail link between Belfast and Whitehead. The path used to be three quarters of a mile long and was linked by a series of spec- tacular metal bridges. This scheme aims to recreate the original experience. The project has also funded the con-
struction of a brand new visitor’s centre which is currently nearing completion. McLaughlin & Harvey, who were appoint- ed as the main contractors on the project, are midway through the fit out of the build- ing. The community facility in the visitors centre is mostly complete. The site’s car park, situated outside the visitors centre is completed as well, so from the outside the centre appears almost ready. Works began on the renovation of the
coastal path in March this year. We caught up with Geraldine McGahey, Chief Executive at Larne Borough Council, to find out more. She said: “We have developed the path project on three levels; in addition to the cliff
face
path, we have also developed a stainless steel staircase which leads visitors from the cliff top down the face of the cliff. “As well as this we have constructed a
path that runs along the edge of the cliff, at the top, as we were conscious that the cliff face path wasn’t going to be accessible for everyone. We feel all of the paths give everyone a chance to explore the area.” Geraldine said that four of the path’s 18 bridges are already in place with many of
76
he restoration of Gobbins Coastal Path, situated on the famous
Islandmagee,
Causeway is
Coast, progressing
A £7 million project
the bridges currently awaiting installation. The iconic tubular bridge is due for delivery next week as its fabrication has now been completed and all bridges will then be fitted at the same time. Most of the scaling of the rock face to remove loose rock has been completed and all of the anchor points for the bridges and cantilevered walkway have also been carried out. The Gobbins project is a joint scheme
between Larne Borough Council and Donegal County Council. The project has received funding from the European INTERREG IVA project; which overall will see €256 million spent as part of a world- wide cross border initiative. In order
to gain statutory approval for
the scheme Larne Borough Council worked closely with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. The pathway is located in an area of outstanding natural beauty, as well as in an area of special scientific interest. A number of rare birds use the cliff for nesting and breeding, in- cluding puffins, so one of the conditions of the project was that works could not occur in between April and the end of September each year. The environment agency did not want anything to impact upon the birds breeding season. The site is the only place in Ireland’s
mainland where puffins are still breeding. An Ornithologist has been appointed
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to survey the site in order to ensure the works do not cause excessive noise that would intimidate or frighten the birds. Geraldine added: “We had feared that we wouldn’t be
able to undertake any works during the summer months but were able to work around the obstacles. We are indebted to the innovative way McLaughlin & Harvey has been able to work around the issues, as well as the Environment Agency who believed in us and supported us thorough the process.” McLaughlin & Harvey have been appoint-
ed as the main contractor for the project. The firm has acquired a reputation for high quality building construction and civil engineering and has produced many landmark
buildings throughout Great
Britain and Ireland. The company offers an array of services including a full con- struction service, design and build, civil engineering and facilities management, fit out, offshore, energy and specialist joinery. The £7 million needed to restore the
unique series of coastal bridges, tunnels and staircases has been received from a variety of sources. The Special European Union’s Programmes Body’s INTERREG IVA funds have helped immensely, as have funds from Larne Borough Council and the Ulster Garden Villages organisation.
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