Consultations continue for NI National Park

Environment Minister Alex Attwood will meet members of the Ulster Farmers' Union on Monday to discuss which areas in Northern Ireland should become national parks.

The Mournes, Causeway coast, the Antrim Glens and Fermanagh Lakelands were recently identified by Mr Attwood as the most likely areas for national park designation.

The minister said in June he wants NI to have two national parks, not one.

NI is the only UK region without one.

In June, Mr Attwood said he believed that now was the time for Northern Ireland legislation for national parks.

He said he would be circulating a paper to the executive recommending they endorsed the principle of national parks legislation.

If it is passed, the legislation would give the Department of Environment (DoE) updated powers to designate areas as national parks.

The designation of particular areas as national parks would take place through subordinate legislation after a further period of public consultation.

National parks are areas of protected countryside. England has 10 national parks, Wales has three and Scotland has two.

Each park is administered by its own independent government-funded body which looks after its conservation and promotes its benefits to the public.