A toboggan run in West Belfast has been given the go-ahead at City Hall.
The 565-metre long white-knuckle ride is set to replicate the ‘Alpine coaster’ type rides seen in some ski resorts.
The Colin Glen Toboggan will be a key attraction at the park which already has a number of significant visitor draws including a zip line and the Toptracer golf driving range.
Around £800,000 is being invested in the project which involves Belfast City Council working with the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs’ Rural Tourism Fund.
On Tuesday evening, the Council tweeted that the Planning Committee had granted permission for the toboggan run.
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There were a number of concerns raised by local environmentalists about the impact the project would have on wildlife in the Colin Glen Park area.
The affect on butterflies and moths as the work progressed, was a particular issue according to Séanna Walsh, a Sinn Fein councillor in the area.
He said the developers of the project are “confident, however, that the necessary protection of flora and fauna" will occur as work is "carried out in a sensitive and considered fashion”.
He added: “This is an amazing project for this part of the city. It’s incredible to think of one of these Alpine style rides like you would see at ski resorts in Europe appearing at Colin Glen Park, but it’s got the go ahead. It’ll add to the already fantastic facilities at the park that attract a huge number of people to the area.”
It is understood the 565m track consists of a 324m descent and 241m straight section. A tendering exercise for the new leisure facility, which would be the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, was launched by the council in November.
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Existing facilities at the park include 200 acres of scenic woodland, grassland, waterfalls and pathways, a Gruffalo adventure trail and the Skytrek adventure centre.
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The new toboggan run is part of a wider development at the West Belfast park announced last year and comes after the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) handed ownership of the complex over to Colin Glen Trust on a 999-year lease.
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