Birkenhead Park,The City Centre of York and an iron age settlement in Shetland could soon join a prestigious list
They have been nominated along with four other sites confirmed to be in the running for UNESCO World Heritage Status by the Government
Birkenhead Park, which opened in 1847, was a pioneering project to bring greenery to urban environments and provided a blueprint for municipal planning that has influenced town and city parks across the world, including New York’s Central Park.
The East Atlantic Flyway, a migratory bird route over western parts of Europe including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Kent, joins the UK’s list in recognition of its vital importance to bird populations and wildlife. The area sees huge transient bird populations pass through every year as the seasons change.
The Little Cayman Marine Parks and Protected Areas, situated in the UK Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands, have been put forward for their exceptional importance to marine biodiversity and their incredible natural beauty.
Also on the list today is the Zenith of Iron Age Shetland, a collection of three ancient settlements dating back thousands of years.
Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:
Today we are confirming our support for some of the most enchanting heritage sites and breathtaking landscapes in the UK and its Overseas Territories as they bid for UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
All the locations being put forward would be worthy recipients of this accolade – and we will give them our full backing so they can benefit from the international recognition it can bring.
David Armstrong, Assistant Chief Executive of Birkenhead Park, said:
Already Wirral residents hugely value Birkenhead Park and this is shown by the fact that it is visited by nearly two million people every year.
For several years, it has been an ambition of Wirral Council and partners – including the Friends of Birkenhead Park – to seek UNESCO’s recognition of the Park and its immediate surroundings as a World Heritage Site. To be included on the UK Tentative List for potential nomination to UNESCO for World Heritage Status is fantastic news and shows we are one step closer to achieving that ambition.
A successful application for WHS status would also bolster the wider regeneration of Birkenhead and if ultimately accepted as a World Heritage Site this flagship Park would have its place in history cemented even further, as well adding further to its international recognition.
Dr Val Turner, The Zenith of Iron Age Shetland, Shetland Regional Archaeologist, said:
We are thrilled and excited to remain on the new Tentative List and hope to progress to nomination within the next ten years. We have already experienced the benefits of being on the previous Tentative List, which has attracted first-class research to Shetland. We are currently working to conserve Old Scatness – a key milestone along the road.
Keith Aspden, Leader of City of York Council, said:
We are thrilled with this acknowledgement of York’s world-class heritage and its universal historic and archaeological importance. The various communities in York have worked hard together to achieve this place on the new UK Tentative List of World Heritage Sites and they deserve the recognition this status brings.
York is an outstanding example of continuous urban development over 2,000 years since its foundation as a Roman legionary fortress with evidence of every succeeding period on its urban development. The collection of medieval stained glass in York Minster and the historic parish churches in the city centre is unrivalled. York embraces and values this heritage and will manage it sensitively so that the city continues as a vibrant, innovative, living city.
