The Minister received the reports and recommendations of the Mourne National Park Working Party from Harvey Bicker, the working party Chairman. She thanked the working party for their thoroughness and diligence in researching and consulting on the issues and she said she appreciated that its members had given considerable time and effort freely.
Arlene Foster said: “I recognise the challenges countryside access presents and I want to support projects to improve access while addressing these challenges. I have asked my Environment and Heritage Service to commit a further £500,000 over three years towards developing and improving access facilities, providing better information for walkers and helping landowners deal with the problems they face.”
Arlene Foster said she recognised that there are significant visitor pressures on the Mournes. It had become clear for example, during the course of the Working Party’s consultation, that access to the countryside is a major concern to farmers and landowners. In response her department commissioned a study of access issues in the Mourne area which identified some management needs.
The Minister said that she will consider the working party’s recommendations and the consultation report carefully and seek the views of others including the Environment Committee, the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development and the DOE’s statutory advisory body, the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside.
Notes to Editors:
1. The Mourne National Park Working Party (Working Party) presented its report to the Environment Minister on 27 September 2007 in the Stormont Hotel in Belfast, together with the report on the public consultation it conducted.
2. The working party was established in October 2004 by DOE at the request of the then Minister Angela Smith MP. It is an independent body appointed to advise the department on a proposed Mourne National Park.
3. The Chairman of the working party, Harvey Bicker OBE, was appointed following public advertisement. There are 22 other members, nominated from a range of organisations including the three district councils, farming organisations, community groups, conservation bodies and recreation and tourism interests.
4. Members of the working party attended in their own time and were unpaid. The working party was supported by observers from several statutory and executive bodies. The working party held its final meeting in August and its office in Newcastle will close on 2 October.
5. The remit of the working party was:
to commission research to help make decisions on the boundaries of the proposed national park;
to develop proposals for a management structure for the proposed national park;
to carry out the consultation processes regarding these proposals;
to make recommendations to the Minister on the outcome of this work.
6. The working party completed, on 31 January 2007, a public consultation on the proposal to establish the first National Park here. During the consultation a total of 2,298 responses were submitted using the consultation leaflet and a further 79 written submissions were received from organisations and some individuals.
7. Copies of the documents will be available from 28 September 2007 at www.mourneworkingparty.org and www.ehsni.gov.uk
8. For media enquiries contact DOE Press Office on 028 9054 0003. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.
