Natural England - Environmental designations and features

Environmental designations and features

The aim of the environmental designations maps is to identify areas where special care is needed to avoid damaging the environment.

The guidance below must be referred to when using these maps for assessing opportunities and optimum sitings of energy crops. Information regarding the use of these maps is provided below

Introduction

England is covered by a range of environmental designations, established to conserve and enhance areas and features of particular environmental interest. These include landscape, biodiversity, the historic environment, and natural resources such as soils and water. Within these areas, special care is needed to avoid damaging the environment. This may impose constraints on the establishment of energy crops. In many cases there will be specific local policies or legal requirements to comply with.

When using the environmental designations maps, if an area of land being considered for energy crop plantings falls within one or more designated areas, contact the organisations listed below for advice and information about any policies or restrictions that may apply.

Ancient and Semi Natural Woodland

Ancient woodland is land that has had a continuous woodland cover since at least 1600 AD, and may be ancient semi-natural woodland (ASNW), which retains a native tree and shrub cover that has not been planted, although it may have been managed by coppicing or felling and allowed to regenerate naturally; or plantation on ancient woodland sites (PAWS), where the original tree cover has been felled and replaced by planting, often with conifers, and usually over the last century.

Ancient woodlands are particularly important because they are exceptionally rich in wildlife, including many rare species and habitats; are an integral part of England’s historic landscapes; and act as reservoirs from which wildlife can spread into new woodlands.

The location of ancient woodlands over 2 ha in area is recorded in the National Inventory of Ancient Woodlands, which is maintained by Natural England.

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) are designated for their landscape qualities for the purpose of conserving and enhancing their natural beauty (which includes landform and geology, plants and animals, landscape features and the rich history of human settlement over the centuries). They have been described as the jewels of the English landscape. There are 36 in all, covering about 15 per cent of England. The smallest is the Isles of Scilly, a mere 16 sq km, and the largest is the Cotswolds, totalling 2,038 sq km.

Natural England is responsible for designating AONBs and advising Government and others on how they should be protected and managed. There are local AONB partnerships in all AONBs, led by local authorities and including a wide range of key organisations. These partnerships are dedicated to the conservation of these nationally important areas. Staff teams funded mainly by the local authorities and Natural England are based locally to co-ordinate and deliver action on the ground.

Community Forests

England has 12 community forests, which have been developed through the England Community Forest Programme to revitalise some 4,500 km of countryside and green space in and around major conurbations through creating new woodland and other environmental improvements. The Countryside Agency, the Forestry Commission, local authorities, and a host of local and national organisations established the programme in 1990. Since then the forests have developed into leading exponents of environmentally led regeneration. Each Community Forest has its own government-approved Forest Plan - a 30-year vision of landscape-scale improvement.

Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA)

Environmentally Sensitive Areas are one of a range of agri-environment schemes operating under the England Rural Development Programme. They are particular parts of the country where the landscape, wildlife and historic interest are of national importance. The scheme involves farmers voluntarily entering into ten year management agreements with Defra under which they receive an annual payment for each Hectare of land under agreement in return for following specific management practices. The scheme has now been replaced by the Environmental Stewardship Scheme, though many existing agreements are still in place.

There are 22 ESAs in England, covering some 10% of agricultural land.

Heritage Coasts

Heritage Coasts are a non-statutory landscape definition, unlike the formally designated National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and are defined by agreement between the relevant maritime local authorities and Natural England. 33% (1,057km) of England’s coastline is conserved as Heritage Coasts. Most are part of a National Park or AONB.

These special coastlines are managed so that their natural beauty is conserved and, where appropriate, the accessibility for visitors is improved. The first Heritage Coast to be defined was the famous white chalk cliffs of Beachy Head in Sussex, the latest the Durham Coast. Now much of our coastline, like the sheer cliffs of Flamborough Head and Bempton, with their huge seabird colonies, is protected as part of our coastal heritage.

Higher Level Stewardship Special Projects (Axeholme, Isles of Scilly and Braunton Great Field)

Higher Level Stewardship is an agri-environment scheme that provides funding to farmers and other land managers in England to deliver effective environmental management on their land. Three areas of the country have been designated as special projects in recognition of their particular environmental interests specific conservation needs.

National Forest

The National Forest covers 500 square kilometres of the English Midlands, across parts of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire. From one of the country’s least wooded regions, the ambitious goal for The National Forest is to increase woodland cover to about a third of all the land within its boundary. The Forest is encouraging alternative land use by farmers and landowners, and is stimulating business, leisure, tourism and educational activity throughout the area. The National Forest is transforming, ecologically and economically, an area badly scarred by past mineral workings which was also one of the least wooded areas in the country.

National Nature Reserves (NNR)

National Nature Reserves (NNRs) have been established to protect and manage the most important areas of wildlife habitat and geological formations in Britain, and as places for scientific research. They are some of the finest sites in England for wildlife and geology and are of national and often international importance. They are either owned or controlled by Natural England or held by approved bodies such as Wildlife Trusts.

Nearly every type of vegetation is found in England's NNRs, from coastal salt-marshes, dunes and cliffs to downlands, meadows and native woodland. Scarce and threatened habitats such as chalk downs, lowland heaths and bogs and estuaries are conserved in NNRs.

At present there is one Marine Nature Reserve (MNR) in England, which is Lundy Island in Devon. At the end of September 2006, there were 222 reserves, covering over 92,000 hectares.

National Parks

National Parks are extensive areas of land, each with their own managing authority to conserve and enhance their natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage and to promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of their special qualities.

Following the confirmation of the South Downs National Park Designation Order on 12 November 2009 there are now nine National Parks in England plus the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads, which has equivalent status. These 10 areas account for 8 per cent of England’s land area. 

National Parks provide their 110 million annual visitors with the opportunity to explore some of England's most dramatic and remote landscapes. The parks are living and working landscapes with an increasing focus on supporting the communities and economic activity which underpin their wild beauty.

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ)

NVZs were set up under Council Directive 91/676/EEC and have been established in areas where nitrate from agricultural land is causing pollution of the water environment. In these zones Action Programmes of compulsory measures apply. These measures include a requirement for farmers to limit their applications of livestock manures and, in some circumstances, to observe closed periods for the application of organic manure to agricultural land. Action Programme measures apply to all land within designated NVZs from 19th December 2002. Around 55% of England is now included within a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone.

Registered Battlefields

Historic battlefields may contain important topographical and archaeological evidence which can increase our understanding of the momentous events of history which took place on their soil. The English Heritage Register of Historic Battlefields identifies forty-three important English battlefields. Its purpose is to offer them protection and to promote a better understanding of their significance. Each Register entry is based on the available evidence and includes a map of the battlefield area showing the position of the armies and features which were part of the original battleground. These maps are intended to be the starting point for battlefield conservation and interpretation by identifying the most visually sensitive areas.

Registered Parks and Gardens

Historic parks and gardens make a rich and valuable contribution to our landscape, but are a fragile and finite resource which can easily be damaged or lost forever. The most important are listed on the National Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, established and maintained by English Heritage. This has existed since the 1980s and contains over 1500 sites. The main purpose of this register is to help ensure that the features and qualities which make the landscapes listed of national importance are safeguarded during ongoing management or if any change is being considered which could affect them.

Each site is graded into three bands to give added guidance on their significance; grade I have international importance; grade II* are considered to be of exceptional historic interest and grade II are of national importance. Inclusion of a historic park or garden on the Register in itself does not bring additional statutory controls. Local authorities are required by central government to make provision for the protection of the historic environment in their policies and allocation of resources.

Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAM)

Archaeological remains are a crucial link with our past. They vary from obvious sites, such as castles and stone circles, to buried remains, like Roman or medieval settlements, hidden below later buildings and fields. A small proportion of archaeological sites - those of national importance - are legally protected by being placed on the Schedule of Monuments by the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport. English Heritage is the Government's adviser for all matters concerning scheduled monuments. Once a site is scheduled, consent must be obtained from the Secretary of State for any works that affect it.

The word 'monument' covers the whole range of archaeological sites. Scheduled monuments are not always ancient, or visible above ground. There are over 200 'classes' of monuments on the schedule, and they range from prehistoric standing stones and burial mounds, through the many types of medieval site - castles, monasteries, abandoned farmsteads and villages - to the more recent results of human activity, such as collieries and wartime pillboxes.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are the country's very best wildlife and geological sites. There are over 4,000 SSSIs in England, covering around seven per cent of the country's land area. They include some of our most spectacular and beautiful habitats - wetlands teeming with waders and waterfowl, winding chalk rivers, gorse and heather-clad heathlands, flower-rich meadows, windswept shingle beaches and remote moorland and peat bogs. SSSIs support rare plants and animals that now find it difficult to survive in the wider countryside.

Over half of this SSSI land is also internationally important for its wildlife, and has been designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) or Ramsar sites. Many SSSIs are also National Nature Reserves (NNRs) or Local Nature Reserves (LNRs).

SSSIs are notified by Natural England. Every SSSI notification contains a list of potentially damaging operations. By law, owners or occupiers must inform Natural England in writing and obtain permission before carrying out any of these listed operations. There is a right of appeal to Defra if permission is refused. Natural England’s area team staff can provide advice to landowners on the appropriate management of a site and the processes for giving us notice of any operations they may wish to carry out.

Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)

Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) are areas which have been given special protection under the European Union's Habitats Directive. They provide increased protection to a variety of wild animals, plants and habitats and are a vital part of global efforts to conserve the world's biodiversity. All terrestrial SACs in England are also Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). The additional SAC designation is recognition that some or all of the wildlife and habitats are particularly valued in a European context. Designation of an SAC is unlikely to greatly affect the existing management of SSSIs to conserve their biodiversity.

Every SSSI notification contains a list of potentially damaging operations. By law, owners or occupiers must inform Natural England in writing and obtain permission before carrying out any of these listed operations. There is a right of appeal to Defra if permission is refused. Natural England’s area team staff can provide advice to landowners on the appropriate management of a site and the processes for giving us notice of any operations they may wish to carry out

Special Protection Areas (SPA)

Special Protection Areas (SPA) are strictly protected sites classified under Directive 79/409 on the Conservation of Wild Birds, also known as the Birds Directive. They are classified for rare and vulnerable birds, listed in Annex I to the Directive, and for regularly occurring migratory species. They are part of the Natural 2000 network of protected sites created by the Habitat and Birds European Directives. Most are also designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The main aim of the Habitats Directive is to promote the maintenance of biodiversity taking account of economic, social, cultural and regional requirements.

World Heritage Sites

World Heritage Sites are defined in the World Heritage Convention as ' places of 'outstanding universal value from the point of view of art, history, science or natural beauty'. The Convention was drawn up and adopted by UNESCO in 1972, to identify cultural and natural properties throughout the world whose protection would be of concern to the international community. The World Heritage List set up by the Convention includes natural sites, and a wide variety of cultural sites such as landscapes, towns, historic monuments and modern buildings. In England. World Heritage Sites include Hadrian’s Wall, Ironbridge Gorge and The Dorset and East Devon Coast.

World Heritage status brings enormous prestige to a site. It may help to promote the site internationally and attract new visitors, if appropriate. It also encourages the highest quality standards for welcoming visitors and managing the site. The protection of a World Heritage Site is the responsibility of national governments, working with the local authorities and stakeholders. To ensure that all World Heritage Sites are managed in a sustainable way, Management Plans are recommended by UNESCO. Such Plans identify opportunities and long-term objectives, and help ensure the preservation of the site by establishing a framework for decision making.