National park plan moves closer

The Mournes may get a new status

Northern Ireland is a step closer to getting its first national park with the picturesque Mourne Mountains the most likely contender.

Environment Minister Dermot Nesbitt is to set up a working group to consider what steps are necessary to designate the Mournes a national park.

He made the announcement on Wednesday night at the annual conference of the Mourne Heritage Trust, which has been campaigning for five years to get such status for the area.

He said: "The finest landscapes in Northern Ireland - in areas such as the Mournes, the Antrim Coast and Glens and the Fermanagh Lakeland - are some of our greatest assets.

Dermot Nesbitt: Commissioned study into National Park status

"We must act now to ensure that they are properly conserved for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations."

Mr Nesbitt commissioned a study on the benefits, costs and management implications of establishing national parks in Northern Ireland.

He said: "This research sets out criteria for national park designation and concludes that the Mournes are our strongest candidate. I am therefore setting up a working group to consider a framework for such a designation.

"This group will need to identify a suitable boundary and determine what powers should be transferred to a national park authority.

"Most importantly, it will consult local interests to ensure that the proposals have widespread support."

Expectations

He said he would begin bidding immediately for the necessary resources for the project.

Mr Nesbitt said he also intended to publish a strategy for protected landscapes by the end of December, which would take into consideration the nine areas of outstanding natural beauty in the province.

"I do not rule out the possibility of one or more of these areas becoming national parks in the future, although I would want to be satisfied there was support for the designation and that the resources were available," he said.

The study commissioned by Mr Nesbitt set out five key criteria for the designation of a national park.

These included that the area should be of outstanding importance for its heritage and should have a distinctive character and identity.