The UK’s National Trust is considering an appeal against last week's judgement by the Belfast High Court that the Bushmills Dunes golf development near the Giant’s Causeway World Heritage Site should be allowed to go ahead.

The Trust lost its case against Northern Ireland minister Alex Attwood’s decision to permit the development, but Trust director general Dame Helen Ghosh has said the organisation does not regret bringing the case. Heather Thompson, the director of the Trust in Northern Ireland said after the judgement that an appeal would be considered. A decision on any appeal would have to be made before the middle of April.

But Richard Hunter, the buildings architect in charge of designing the resort said he felt the Trust's overwhelming defeat in the case would bear heavily on any potential appeal. “I suppose one of the things they’ll have to sum up or ask themselves is, bearing in mind they lost on all 21 grounds (in the case), is an appeal something they want to do?,” he told the Belfast News Letter. Hunter also confirmed that the project was moving forward, with preliminary site work, such as wildlife surveys, in preparation.

Reacting to the court’s decision, developer Dr Alistair Hanna told GCA: “Now the real work begins. We are looking forward to creating a must play golf course.”