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The Mourne Gullion and Strangford and Lecale areas have secured more than £1.9 million in development funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is a partner in the projects which potentially could attract further delivery grants as plans are developed over the next two years.
Councillor Glyn Hanna, Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, welcomed the announcement. "This investment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund is a key achievement for the Strangford and Lecale landscape and for everyone who has helped shape this ambitious partnership project," Cllr Hanna said. "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."
Mourne Gullion has been awarded £1.1 million in development funding, with the potential for a further £8.7 million in delivery funding to follow. The project spans 73,294 hectares in two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and will unite farmers, landowners and communities to restore habitats, strengthen resilience and reconnect people with the area's natural and cultural heritage, addressing challenges including wildfires, agricultural and land use pollution, uncoordinated land management and growing recreational pressure. The project is led by a team from Mourne Heritage Trust, National Trust, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Northern Ireland Water, and its vision is "to come together to sustain and restore the Mourne AONB and Ring of Gullion AONB landscape."
Strangford and Lecale received over £800,000 in development funding, with the potential for a further £8.8 million in delivery funding. The project will be co-ordinated by a partnership between Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Ards and North Down Borough Council, working alongside Ulster Wildlife, and aims to create a more connected landscape by restoring habitats at scale and supporting communities to lead nature recovery. It will take in seagrass meadows, saltmarsh, coastal wetlands, species-rich grasslands and native woodlands that provide refuge for barn owls, red squirrels and Brent geese, among other wildlife.
Dedicated roles are to be recruited to develop and deliver both schemes. Mourne Gullion will see five jobs created during the development stage, with a further four jobs, six apprenticeships and a student placement programme for at least 24 young people during delivery. Recruitment for the Mourne Gullion project, led by the National Trust, is due to begin in early August. Strangford and Lecale will create five roles locally during development and a further five during delivery.
Nigel McKinney, Chief Executive of Mourne Heritage Trust and a Mourne Gullion project partner, said the vision was "to come together to sustain and restore the Mourne and Ring of Gullion landscape for current and future generations." He added: "Importantly, this stage of funding supports planning and early consultation. Continued collaboration with farmers, landowners and local communities will play a key role in shaping proposals."
Dawn Miskelly, Chief Executive of Ulster Wildlife and Strangford Lecale project partner, said the funding was "a powerful vote of confidence in the future of this special place and in the value of working together to restore nature at scale." She said: "This funding gives us a unique opportunity to work together with communities and landowners to restore nature at a landscape-scale, helping habitats recover and become better connected."
Craig Blaney, Mayor of Ards and North Down Borough Council and Strangford Lecale project partner, said the council was "proud to be part of this ambitious partnership with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Ulster Wildlife, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, to help secure the future of the Strangford and Lecale landscape." He added that the project offered "a fantastic opportunity to create a lasting legacy that will benefit both local people and the environment for generations to come."
Heather McLachlan, Regional Director of the National Trust, described the investment as "a significant milestone for the Mourne and Ring of Gullion landscape." She said: "These places are deeply valued for their natural beauty, biodiversity and cultural heritage, but they are under increasing pressure. This funding allows us to work together across sectors and communities to design a practical, long-term response that supports both nature recovery and local community."
Mourne Gullion and Strangford and Lecale are two of five projects that will share more than £5 million in development funding from the Heritage Fund's Landscape Connections initiative, and a £150 million, ten-year investment programme. The other three projects are Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape, Shropshire Hills National Landscape and Cornwall National Landscape.
Dr Paul Mullan, Director for Northern Ireland at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said the two projects demonstrated "the ambition, innovation and partnership needed to secure the future of our landscapes." He said: "This development funding will help turn ideas into action, laying the foundations for long-term change that benefits both nature and people."
Since 1994 the Heritage Fund has awarded over £2.3 billion of National Lottery and other funding to more than 5,300 land, nature and biodiversity projects.
