National Trust Northern Ireland - The Truth of the Lies

Remember the boastful, unambiguous contents of the December 2010 National Trust mailing to numerous customers of their Castle Ward Caravan Park?

'As a result of a number of site updates Castle Ward is delighted to have received a Northern Ireland Tourist Board 4 Star Caravan Park Rating.

New site updates include the following: Improvement of shower facilities (now separate female cubicles), New laundry facilities (token operated washer and tumble dryers), New indoor hot water washroom facilities, A small onsite shop, A new wide entrance with one way system for easy access, A new drive-on drainage post for camper vans, All year opening from 1 March 2011.'

After complaints were made to the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, the nice people at the National Trust Northern Ireland then sent a further mailing to customers on 19th January 2011, stating with equal clarity:

'I am writing to follow up my recent letter and to provide you with further clarification in relation to the Castle Ward Caravan Park. In my earlier letter I indicated that we had received four star rating for the Caravan Park, but I did not make clear that this is subject to completing specific works.

Due to the very inclement weather conditions during December, work on the planned upgrade to bring the facilities fully up to four star rating was unavoidably delayed. I am pleased to say, however, that construction work is now well underway and on track for our opening date of 1 March 2011. We expect to achieve our new star rating from NITB following the completion of these works.

We look forward to welcoming you back to the site again soon.'

Following on from the revelations of that second mailing, a Freedom of Information request to Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland) eventually prompted the following response from the Divisional Planning Office, Rathkeltair House, Market Street, Downpatrick, BT30 6EA: 'Planning Service is currently considering an application, received on 3 February 2011, for a proposed washing block on the site. The issue of compliance with current Building Regulations and relevant Health and Safety Regulations is a matter for Down Council to consider.'

The foregoing response from the Divisional Planning Office was dated the 7th April 2011 which in itself raises further disturbing issues, for it was back in December 2010 that the National Trust first boasted of the new facilities, and again on the 19th January 2011 when they claimed 'construction work is now well underway and on track for our opening date of 1 March 2011.

Altogether very strange statements from the charitable Northern Ireland National Trust, especially when at those points in time, not only had planning permission not been granted for their new facilities, the National Trust hadn't even bothered to make a planning application! So does this mean the National Trust then constructed the new facilities without any planning permission from Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland)?

How could the new facilities be ready for the opening of the Castle Ward caravan park on 1st March 2011 when more than a month later (7th April 2011) the Planning Service were still only considering the planning application? Furthermore, if the National Trust did indeed construct the building without legally required planning approval, is the building fit for purpose, is it a safe environment for customers, and in particular for children? Should the National Trust be asked if they have Public Liability Insurance which actually covers patrons of the Castle Ward caravan site?

Is this the same National Trust that is campaigning to stop planning permission being granted for a new golfing complex in the North West of Northern Ireland? Perhaps we should state that the developers of the proposed golfing complex have allegedly applied for planning permission, something the National Trust obviously decided they were exempt from.

Who or what does the Northern Ireland National Trust actually think they are? A hugely warped version of the Ku Klux Klan perhaps. There are members out there who have encountered an alleged culture of arrogance, incompetence, lying, evasiveness and secrecy. Secret dubious investigations are conducted, the outcome of which are also kept secret, even from those members they have implicated. Therefore we ask if the National Trust in Northern Ireland is unfit for purpose? Some people certainly believe the Northern Ireland National Trust is a corrupt organisation, so the question is, are those people correct?