The Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) has called for a firm response following a fire at the former Antrim Arms Hotel in Ballycastle.

Ciarán Fox, Director of RSUA, said: "Another listed building that the owner wants to demolish mysteriously goes on fire. It's a disgrace. Something needs to change."

Outlining the duties that come with buying a listed property, Fox added: "When someone buys a listed building they are gaining an asset for themselves but they are also accepting a duty to the rest of us to protect that building for future generations. If an owner finds themselves in a position that they can't afford to maintain a listed building, they should sell it. Where a private owner fails in their duty, Government needs to act."

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He also highlighted that the incident is being treated by Police as deliberate and called for those responsible to be held to account, urging anyone with information to contact officers. He said: "It is alarming, if not surprising, to hear that this fire is being treated by Police as deliberate. It is important that there is a robust investigation and that those responsible are held to account. We encourage anyone with any information to contact the Police."

Looking ahead, Fox said the priority should be making the structure safe and assessing what can be saved, and pressed the owner to engage a conservation architect and fully examine options other than demolition. He continued: "Beyond that, once the structure is made safe, there will need to be an assessment of the damage to see what can be salvaged. There is an onus on the owner to finally engage a conservation architect, adopt a conservation-led strategy and robustly explore the alternatives to demolition."