Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Northern Ireland)

The Amenity Lands Act (Northern Ireland) of 1965 was passed.''' In 1967, the Lecale Coast AONB was designated. In 1968, the Sperrin AONB was designated. The Nature Conservation and Amenity Lands (NI) Order of 1985 was passed, replacing the 1965 legislation as the main basis for AONB designation.''' In 2006, the Binevenagh AONB was re-designated replacing the North Derry AONB and with larger borders. However, such review did not extend to Northern Ireland, therefore AONBs in Northern Ireland were not renamed as "National Landscapes", but occasionally are grouped with the equivalent designation in England and Wales. == Management ==

Management of an AONB differs for each AONB, but fall into three forms (as of June 2020):''' Of the current eight AONBs in Northern Ireland, all except the Lagan Valley AONB (as of 2014), were designated or re-designated under the 1985 order. The designation of "Area of outstanding natural beauty" differs between the two pieces of legislation. Those designated under the 1965 act focus on planning controls within their designated areas, while those under the 1985 order focus on the positive management of their designated areas. Areas designated under the 1965 act do not cease to be AONBs following the repeal of the act, unless re-designated under the 1985 order. Following the passing of the 1985 order, the Department of the Environment intended to re-designate all of the AONB from the 1965 act to be under the 1985 order. By 2003, it had re-designated the Mourne, Causeway Coast, Antrim Coast and Glens, and the Ring of Gullion AONBs. The 1985 order also allows the designation for the first national park in Northern Ireland. of the Northern Ireland Executive) is responsible for designating AONBs in Northern Ireland, and facilitates their management. Article 14 of the Nature Conservation and Amenity Lands (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 sets out the objectives for AONB designation, in principle. For an area to be designated as an AONB, the agency may develop proposals that: • Conserve or enhance the natural beauty or amenities of an area • Conserve wildlife, historic objects or natural phenomena of an area • Promote public's enjoyment of the area • Provide or maintain public access to the area The agency would utilise an AONB designation to increase awareness for the "outstanding qualities" of the designated area and seek to ensure that the special qualities of the area are recognised and result in tangible achievements for the area's conservation. The Northern Ireland Executive's departments and district councils have a statutory duty to have regard for the conservation needs of the area's natural beauty and the amenity of the countryside. The department will also assess whether particular policies or activities affect the conservation and well-being of an AONB, while also encouraging and assisting where it can under a co-ordinated conservation approach. They are the largest and most well-known landscape designation in Northern Ireland. ==List of areas==

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty cover 20–24% of Northern Ireland's land area, The eight areas are: • Antrim Coast and Glens AONB – Designated in 1988, covering the coastline of County Antrim, from Ballycastle to Larne. It also includes Rathlin Island, and is dominated by the Antrim Plateau. • Binevenagh AONB – Designated in 2006, but a re-designation, replacing the North Derry AONB which was designated in 1966. It covers an area between the Roe estuary and Magilligan, covering Binevenagh mountain, the Bann estuary, and the sand dunes of Portstewart. • Causeway Coast AONB – Designated in 1989, and covers the Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland's sole World Heritage Site. It covers of coastline. • Lagan Valley AONB – Designated in 1965, and mainly lies within the Lagan Valley Regional Park (the park itself designated in 1967). It centres on the River Lagan and close to the Belfast metropolitan area. • Mourne AONB – Designated in 1986, it covers the Mourne Mountains. Within it are the twelve peaks of the range, including Slieve Donard, Northern Ireland's highest mountain standing at , as well as Slieve Croob. It also covers of coastline. • Ring of Gullion AONB – Designated in 1991, it surrounds the mountain of Slieve Gullion which sits at the centre of the AONB. Circling the mountain is a ring of lower rugged hills known as the Ring of Gullion, which give the AONB its name and is one of the most known ring dykes in the British Isles, and the first one in the world to be geologically mapped. • Sperrin AONB – Designated in 1968, covering mountainous areas, from the Strule valley in the west towards the Lough Neagh lowlands in the east. It is the largest AONB in Northern Ireland. It was redesignated in 2008, increasing its size from to to cover foothills in the north of the AONB. It is named after and covers the Sperrins mountain range of Northern Ireland, and the range's various valleys and uplands. • Strangford and Lecale AONB – Designated in 2010, the follows the shores of Strangford Lough and up the River Quoile, the town of Downpatrick and towards the Irish Sea coast. It was formed from the merger of the Strangford Lough AONB (designated in 1972 The Environment and Heritage Service of the Department of the Environment conducted wide consultations for the proposal in 1996–1997, for both of the AONBs proposals in County Fermanagh. The reception was mixed. The Environment and Heritage Service of the Department of the Environment conducted wide consultations for the proposal in 1996–1997, for both of the AONBs proposals in County Fermanagh. The reception was mixed. Part of Fermanagh itself was proposed to be Northern Ireland's first National Park. By 2018, there were no plans to designate the area as an AONB. ==See also==