By Ryan Sands
ALMOST £2m in funding has been secured to help protect and restore the district’s ‘most treasured landscapes’.
Last Wednesday, it was announced that a total £1.9m investment from the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s (NLHF) Landscape Connections initiative – £1.1m for Mourne Gullion and £800,000 for Strangford and Lecale – had been allocated to help ‘restore nature, connect communities and build climate resilience’.
An NLHF statement described Mourne Gullion and Strangford and Lecale as ‘two of Northern Ireland’s most important landscapes’.
It also highlighted that it had awarded over £5m in development funding across five projects – the other three are in England – with the potential for a further £42.6m in delivery grants to follow, as plans are developed and tested over the next two years.
The statement added that the funding would ‘revive and connect the UK’s most treasured landscapes’.
‘From restoring habitats and recovering peatlands damaged by wildfire to improving access to nature, supporting community stewardship and building resilience to climate change, the five projects represent the latest step in strengthening nature, heritage and communities across some of the UK’s most significant landscapes,’ it read.
‘A £150m, 10-year investment, Landscape Connections brings together farmers, landowners, communities and partners to restore nature and build resilience at a scale that matches the challenge.
‘Across the five projects, that means peatland restoration, water and flood management, coastal resilience, species recovery and farmer-led, nature-positive land management, alongside empowering communities, improving access to nature and supporting more people to take an active role in caring for their local landscapes.’
The statement provided more detail on the local projects.
‘Mourne Gullion is one of Northern Ireland’s most distinctive landscapes but faces increasing challenges from wildfires, pollution and pressures on land use,’ it continued.
‘With £1.1m in development funding awarded and the potential for a further £8.7m in delivery funding, the project will bring together farmers, landowners and communities to restore habitats, strengthen resilience and reconnect people with its rich natural and cultural heritage.
‘Strangford and Lecale is one of Northern Ireland’s most important coastal landscapes, facing growing pressures from climate change and habitat fragmentation.
‘With over £800,000 in development funding awarded and the potential for a further £8.8m in delivery funding, the project will create a more connected landscape by restoring habitats at scale and supporting communities to lead nature recovery.’
A project team from the Mourne Heritage Trust, the National Trust, the council and NI Water has been formed for Mourne Gullion, whilst a partnership between the council and Ards and North Down Borough Council, working alongside Ulster Wildlife, will co-ordinate the Strangford and Lecale project.
Recruitment for five dedicated development roles for each project is expected to begin soon.
Informal recruitment drop-in sessions for Mourne Gullion will be held in the Newcastle Centre tomorrow (Thursday, 2.30pm to 6.30pm) and in Newry’s Canal Court Hotel on Tuesday (3pm to 7pm).
Further information is available by searching for ‘Mourne Gullion’ on the www.nationaltrustjobs.org.uk website.
Mourne Heritage Trust CEO Nigel McKinney said that “the project vision is to come together to sustain and restore the Mourne and Ring of Gullion landscape for current and future generations”.
“Importantly, this stage of funding supports planning and early consultation,” he stressed.
“Continued collaboration with farmers, landowners and local communities will play a key role in shaping proposals.”
Speaking on Strangford and Lecale, council chairperson Glyn Hanna stated that the NLHF investment is “a key achievement for the landscape and for everyone who has helped shape this ambitious partnership project”.
“We are delighted to be able to develop this project over the next two years, working alongside project partners Ards and North Down Borough Council and Ulster Wildlife, communities, landowners and organisations to deliver a project that will protect and enhance our natural, cultural and built heritage,” he added.
NLHF Northern Ireland director Dr Paul Mullan pointed out that “our landscapes are facing unprecedented challenges, from climate change to biodiversity loss, and meeting them requires people to work together across boundaries”.
“It’s thanks to National Lottery players that through our Landscape Connections initiative, the Heritage Fund is helping foster new collaborations, bringing together landowners, farmers, communities and partners to restore nature and build resilience across some of the UK’s most treasured places,” he said.
“The landscapes, habitats and natural environments we value are an important part of our shared heritage.
“Our two Landscape Connections projects in Northern Ireland – Mourne Gullion and Strangford and Lecale demonstrate the ambition, innovation and partnership needed to secure the future of our landscapes.
“This development funding will help turn ideas into action, laying the foundations for long-term change that benefits both nature and people.”
