Wild Belfast and Buglife have come collectively to spotlight what they describe as an alarming lack of wildlife-rich brownfield habitat throughout Belfast. Some brownfield websites in Belfast can assist uncommon and endangered wildlife, together with well-loved species reminiscent of Crimson-shanked Carder Bee (Bombus ruderarius), Widespread Lizard (Zootoca vivipara) and Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus). Nevertheless, many of those nature hotspots are in danger from being misplaced to growth, because the charities clarify.
“The state of Belfast’s brownfields: nature under threat” 2024 report exhibits that over a seven-year interval, 40% of 47 brownfield websites that Buglife had beforehand recognized as vital for wildlife in Belfast have been misplaced, broken or are in speedy risk. Concerningly, when reside planning functions are additionally thought of, over 60% of the whole space of this very important habitat has both been misplaced or is beneath speedy threat- with doubtlessly profound impacts for nature within the metropolis.
Brownfields can assist an enormous variety of wildlife, usually offering refuges for species which have suffered inhabitants crashes on account of habitat loss, reminiscent of wildflower meadows disappearing from the panorama. They’ll embody quarries, disused railways traces, spoil heaps, even former industrial estates which have been allowed to grow to be city havens for wildlife. Sadly, regardless of usually being the final remaining ‘wild’ inexperienced areas in Belfast’s neighbourhoods, brownfields are incessantly focused for growth.
Conor McKinney, Chair of the Wild Belfast group group says, “Now is a critical period for the protection of biodiversity. Our planning system offers the potential to protect and enhance biodiversity- or to destroy it. Despite being a priority habitat our planning system is currently failing to protect wildlife-rich brownfield sites in Belfast, or indeed across Northern Ireland. Nature and planning authorities must seize the opportunities available to them to protect these sites for nature and the communities with which they share these valuable wild urban spaces”.
Buglife has beforehand recognized and measured the extent of brownfields vital for invertebrates in a 2017 report- a habitat sometimes called ‘Open mosaic habitat on previously developed land’. Shortly after that report, the habitat was listed as a conservation precedence in Northern Eire. Nevertheless, this new examine that revisits these websites means that regardless of this dedication, these vital wildlife websites are nonetheless being misplaced, hindering the town’s nature restoration ambitions.
Jamie Robins, Programmes Supervisor of Buglife says, “Brownfields which have been reclaimed by nature are becoming increasingly important for our rare invertebrates as the wider countryside is degraded. We need to do more to protect these wildlife havens. The remaining wildlife-rich brownfields should be protected from development and embraced as a key nature recovery solution, and celebrating the role they have to play in giving communities a place to connect with nature.”
The 2024 report means that Belfast’s brownfields should be higher recognised and guarded by the planning system. It additionally means that the perfect websites be included into the vital Website of Native Nature Conservation Significance (SLNCI) community. As well as, the report appears past Belfast and recommends {that a} Northern Eire large stock of the habitat ought to be urgently created.
