Environmental landscape and natural heritage resources

The diversity of the landscape across our Borough provides a unique resource of significant environmental quality stretching from the shores of Lough Neagh in the west to Belfast Lough in the east. Metropolitan Newtownabbey has an impressive natural setting situated along the western shore of Belfast Lough with the Carrickfergus Escarpment to the east forming a magnificent backdrop. The rural area towards Antrim includes very attractive and contrasting countryside through the Maine, Six Mile Water and Crumlin River valley, the Lough Neagh shoreline in the west, to the South Antrim Hills, including Tardree Forest in the north east and the Belfast Hills to the south east of our Borough. This natural landscape provides a rich resource of productive agricultural land and habitats important for nature conservation. It has also been modified considerably by man and contains numerous sites of historic and archaeological importance. These features of the natural and built heritage will need to be afforded appropriate protection through the policies of the LDP. At present there are a range of natural heritage sites designated for their international and regional significance, including Ramsar, Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Areas (SPA) and Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs), with a particular focus on Lough Neagh.