Seven sites in the UK, including Birkenhead Park and its overseas territories, are in the running to win Unesco World Heritage status.
York city centre and an iron age settlement in Scotland are some of the seven sites that could earn Unesco World Heritage status.
Locations with significant cultural, historical, or scientific significance receive the internationally recognised designation.
In the UK, there are currently 33 World Heritage sites, including Stonehenge.
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia and Cairo’s historic areas are two of the locations on the list that are overseen by the agency of the United Nations.
The DCMS published its “Tentative List” on Monday, April 10, listing the seven locations it believes have the best chance of being included. This list is published every 10 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.”
A list of seven sites that will be proposed by the government now includes five additional sites from across the UK and its overseas territories.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport confirmed the new sites are:
- York
- Birkenhead Park
- The Zenith of Iron Age Shetland
- The East Atlantic Flyway
- The Little Cayman Marine Parks and Protected Areas
Two more sites, which are still on the government’s Tentative List, earlier this year submitted their full nominations to Unesco.
They are the Gracehill Moravian Church Settlement in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, and The Flow Country, a sizable peatland area spanning Caithness and Sutherland in the north of Scotland that is essential for sustaining biodiversity.
The DCMS announced that it will assist local authorities and devolved administrations in creating their bids.
