Maintenance costs of £82k revealed for Gobbins cliff path

It’s been revealed that The Gobbins cliff path in Co Antrim has cost £82k to maintain since it reopened last year.

The Islandmagee tourist attraction, which cost £7.5m and opened last year, was forced to close in January of this year after landslides.

The repairs to the attraction mean it will stay shut until next year.

First opened in 1902, the path is hewn out of the Cliffside and winds its way along the coast.

However, it fell into a sorry state in the 1950s and eventually closed in 1954.

Sinn Fein Stormont MLA Oliver McMullan said: "While there is no doubt tourism plays a key role in the economy of East Antrim and that this, along with other attractions, can help bring in visitors, local ratepayers are rightly worried about how much it will cost and whether it provides value for money."

The council said the expenditure was essential as part of its rockfall management responsibilities.

"As a unique coastal visitor experience exposed to the elements, The Gobbins will require ongoing routine maintenance involving scaling of the cliff face to mitigate the effects of coastal erosion on the path,” a spokesperson said.