Benevenagh “first” for National Park

The Ulster Society for the Protection of the Countryside (USPC) have been campaigning for National Park status for certain areas in Northern Ireland for years, and believe the area arround Benevenagh should be a part of the “first and easiest option” for a National Park.

Northern Ireland is the only part of Ireland or Britain to lack an area designated as a National Park, with nine in England, three in Wales, two in Scotland and six in the Republic of Ireland.

Approximately one year ago, a Consultation Document was issued by Environment Minister Alex Attwood, setting out the Department’s thinking on the need for National Parks in Northern Ireland. The document outlined economic benefits which might be brought to the local economy by having one or more areas with the prestigious designation. It also outlined the proposed aims of National Parks and the criteria which areas would need to fulfil in order to be given the designation.

The consultation document also discussed the process for establishing National Parks and how they would be governed.

A recent shortlist of potential candidates for the designation was also released by the Environment Minister in June this year, which included the Mournes; the Causeway Coast and Antrim Glens, and the Fermanagh Lakelands.

The Ulster Society for the Protection of the Countryside, however, believe that the best possible location for Northern Ireland’s first National Park should include the area around Benevenagh currently designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

The USPC suggest a combination of two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty ‘The Causeway Coast’ and ‘The Antrim Coast and Glens’ be chosen to be Northern Ireland’s first National Park and that by adding ‘Binevenagh’, another AONB, this would provide a spectacular National Park around the Antrim and North Londonderry coast, which would be a tremendous asset providing both protection for a beautiful area and a magnificent tourist attraction.

Ian Lamont, Treasurer of the USPC told the Sentinel: “We have heard Benevenagh mentioned. When Alex Attwood suggested the three possibilities, he put the Causeway Coast and Antrim together – but nothing has been decided yet. The basic legislation isn’t even in place yet. We have suggested adding Benevenagh to it. We think that would be more favourably looked at than areas such as the Mournes, where there has been some degree of opposition. We believe that adding Benevenagh to the Causeway Coast and Antrim Glens should be the first option.”

The USPC have been campaigning for a National Park for Northern Ireland for a number of years. Chairman of the Society, Mr Paddy McAteer, wrote to all MLAs to outline the group’s position on the issue of National Parks. Their letter, stating that the lack of a National Park in Northern Ireland might lead some to believe that there was nothing worthy of that status, read: “A Scot from Dunbar, John Muir, campaigned over 100 years ago in his adopted country, the United States of America, for public and political support for his vision that the nation’s finest landscapes should be protected as ‘National Parks’.

“Now virtually every country in the world has its own national parks system, but not so in Northern Ireland, although our near neighbours in Scotland, England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland all enjoy this privilege.

“Throughout the world national parks are recognised as assets of the highest order, and are so well known and accepted that some potential visitors might assume that because of their absence in Northern Ireland we have nothing equivalent to offer.

“The purposes for which a national park is designated are to conserve the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area and to provide for the enjoyment and understanding of its special qualities by the public. While these purposes are pursued as a prime duty, it is also necessary to foster the social and economic wellbeing of those communities within any national parks.

“The Ulster Society for the Protection of the Countryside contends that national parks have value, not only in providing recreation and improved countryside management, but also in supplying considerable benefits to local communities engaged in farming and tourism.

“All members of the Legislative Assembly at Stormont have received the White Paper on Proposed Enabling Legislation to provide National Parks in Northern Ireland. The Ulster Society for the Protection of the Countryside requests that in 2012 they support the worthy objective of having the best of our beautiful countryside properly recognised and protected.”

Ian Lamont told the Sentinel that any Roe Valley citizens supportive of the idea of Benevenagh as part of a National Park should contact local MLAs to express their support for the idea before ahead of legislation being brought before the Stormont Assembly.