The Assembly's Environment Minister Arlene Foster has now refused an application for a planned visitors' centre at the Giant's Causeway.

The initiative was already controversial, as last year, private developer Seymour Sweeney was linked to Ian Paisley Jr.

Mr Sweeney wanted to build the privately funded visitors' centre at the UNESCO site, and Mrs Foster originally said she had been "minded" to accept the developer's application.

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However, as predicted earlier today by Sinn Fein's Daithi McKay, who sits on the environment committee, this is no longer the case.

Mrs Foster said the proposal 'had merits' but had to turn it down on what she said were 'planning grounds'.

Other options will now have to be explored for a replacement centre on the site, the original having been destroyed by fire.

(GK/JM)(BMcC)