In January 2019, it was announced that County Down had secured a place on the “Sustainable Destinations Top 100”, a list of tourist destinations which have been judged to have a responsible approach to sustainability. Stuart Park, the county’s mentor for their application, lauded its “effective waste management practices” and local authorities’ and other partner agencies’ “strong policies and plans”. Let’s see how these claims measure up against some recent high profile stories in the region. Anaerobic digesters Much of County Down is rural, with land being put to agricultural use. Farming has been carried out responsibly and sustainably for generations, but more recently government policy has been to encourage aggressive growth within the sector, with the consequent problem of how to handle increased waste products.
However, the large subsidies have encouraged some to use valuable agricultural land to grow crops such as grass with the sole purpose of feeding their anaerobic digesters, rather than using it in a more sustainable way. Add to this the fact that anaerobic digesters can leak toxic gas, and the digestate which they produce – and which is spread on land as fertiliser – can retain toxic elements, and the set-up begins to look less and less sustainable. Is this one of the “effective waste management plans” which helped County Down win its award? Nuclear waste We can’t talk public policy and waste management in County Down, without mentioning the proposals to store the UK’s nuclear waste in the Mournes. The NI Executive supported ‘geological disposal’ in 2008 and 2014 (i.e. burying hazardous waste in rocky landscape). This historic support was highlighted by a spokesperson explaining a Government contractor’s recent recommendation that areas of Newry and the Mournes would be suitable places to store the UK’s nuclear waste. One news outlet noted: “Northern Ireland tourist sites are among the potential locations for a nuclear waste “dumping ground”, it has emerged.” Did this form part of County Down’s entry for the Sustainable Destinations Top 100; perhaps under the “strong policies and plans” heading, or maybe “effective waste management”?
The new structures will be situated next to Carlingford Lough and Rostrevor Wood, both of which have protected status and are designated areas of special scientific interest. The latter contains ancient oak trees and was cited by C.S. Lewis as his inspiration for Narnia. The Council’s planners – perhaps genuinely adhering to the “strong policies” which helped County Down win its sustainable tourism gong – rejected the planning application. The Councillors overruled them. Northern Ireland is rightly proud of its literary heritage and the landscape that inspired it. Whilst in Belfast, they’re investing a lot of money to build new statues of C.S. Lewis and his characters, in County Down, they’re tearing down the ancient, irreplaceable natural landscape which inspired him. Where’s the “sustainability” in that? The Council can look to NI’s planning policies to protect natural heritage, archaeological sites and monuments, the environment, and sensitive surroundings. They should be requiring environmental impact assessments of any proposed new structures in applicable locations. And yet, on their watch, since October 2017, one wind turbine and two telecoms masts have been erected on Knock Iveagh, and 2km of trenching has been dug around the Knock without any plans for this having been submitted. The cairn on Knock Iveagh is a scheduled monument dating from approximately 3,700 BC, and the hill is likely to have been a sacred site for over 5,000 years. Knock Iveagh should be the jewel in the crown of what County Down can offer visitors. It could and should have been front and centre in the county’s application to be included on a high profile list of tourist destinations. What does the county’s application ‘mentor’ highlight though? “Strong policies and plans”. Policies and plans which our local authorities don’t even follow. The future of our heritage is being decided right now, but our decision-makers have their heads buried in policies and applications rather than looking at what’s happening in the real world around them. It’s galling to see the region win praise for “sustainability” when what’s happening on the ground is so unsustainable. It’s ‘green-washing’ of the highest order.
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AuthorThe Friends of Knock Iveagh Archives
September 2019
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