Justification – Countryside Erosion and Rural Character Protection

The countryside of Northern Ireland is valued for its intrinsic landscape character, nature conservation interest and built heritage, as well as being a resource for tourism and recreation. While the countryside is constantly changing in response to human activity, the pace of change is now more rapid than ever. This has resulted in the erosion of the rural character of parts of the Region, some of which now appear sub-urbanised and built-up due to the cumulative effect of ongoing development. It is crucial therefore to ensure that new buildings and any associated ancillary works do not result in a detrimental change to, or further erode the rural character of an area, rather they should seek to maintain and protect the special qualities and unique character of our countryside.