A disused quarry once lined up to become one of Northern Ireland's biggest rubbish dumps could soon be hosting Hollywood superstar Tom Hanks. The Oscar winning actor's production company, ironically named Cement Works, has been exploring the possibility of shooting part of a new sci-fi movie in Ulster, and one of the locations under consideration is Magheramorne quarry on the outskirts of Larne. A planning application for a studio has already been submitted. The site was the subject of a major planning battle in the 1990s, after a leading UK waste company tabled proposals for a massive landfill superdump. Proposals which were rejected after a prolonged public inquiry.
In similar news, but with less scope for film puns, plans to transform a landfill site on the edge of north Belfast have been announced by Belfast City Council. They are inviting people to suggest uses for the proposed Giant's Park site on Dargan Road, which will be dependent on lottery funding. Among the options currently being considered for the 200 acre site, are a ferris wheel, a cable car and an outdoor concert venue. This consultation process will end on 26 March 2007.
