Seven UK sites get backing for UNESCO World Heritage status

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has published its regular list of sites to be included in the list of UNESCO World Heitage sites. Seven new sites in the UK have received government backing to win World Heritage status and if successful, they will join the other 33 sites across Great Britain.

The seven new sites are:

York city centre, which will include York Minster
Birkenhead Park, Merseyside, England
The Zenith of Iron Age Shetland, features three ancient settlements, Shetland, Scotland
The East Atlantic Flyway, this migratory bird route includes Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Kent
The Little Cayman Marine Parks and protected areas – in the UK territory of the Cayman Islands
The Flow Country, Northern Scotland
Gracehill Moravian Church Settlement, Northern Ireland

Both the Flow Country and Gracehill Moravian Church submitted their nominations earlier this year, while the others are new additions.  UNESCO World Heritage status is for places that are of ‘outstanding universal value to humanity’ and should be ‘protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.’

Heritage Minister, Lord Parkinson, told reporters: “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.”