Belfast Countryside and Landscape Protection

The countryside in the Belfast area contains a variety of distinctive landscapes, including the hills surrounding Belfast, the coast of Belfast Lough and the Lagan Valley Regional Park, which together provide a high quality setting for the urban area. The need to protect this setting forms a central component of the LDP and is specifically set out in the countryside, landscape and coast policies of the Plan Strategy. These are very important factors in considering minerals development and it is acknowledged that such development may be inconsistent with the objectives associated with these policies, particularly within areas designated for landscape or natural heritage importance.