To ask the Minister for Communities what his Department is doing to promote biodiversity across Northern Ireland’s State Care Monuments.

The Department’s Historic Environment Division (HED) cares for 186 State Care Monuments across NI. It is recognised by my Department that the management of these monuments provides opportunities to deliver environmental and quality of life benefits for local communities.

State Care Monuments can be special places for biodiversity as many have been protected from development, particularly agricultural improvement, which has allowed the preservation of local habitats and species. Many sites support populations of birds, bats, and invertebrates.

HED’s conservation management approach to the monuments in its care aims to promote biodiversity. For example, HED makes sure to seek advice from biodiversity specialists in advance of works at their sites to inform best practice approaches; and, continues to time works to avoid conflict with wildlife, for example roosting bats and nesting birds. It keeps its grassland management under review with a mind to increase biodiversity with reduced or discontinued cutting, including having ‘no cut areas’ while protected plant species are in bloom. HED also tries to ensure site interpretation panels consider interesting and historically significant local biodiversity.

HED’s conservation-led approach continues to reflect the relationship of nature and heritage as environmental concerns, as articulated in the Regional Development Strategy 2035, and in Strategic Planning Policy.