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New Marine Natura 2000 sites - Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas
New Marine Natura 2000 sites - Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas
Studland to Portland pSAC
Background
Natural England works as the Government’s statutory advisor to identify and propose:
examples of marine habitats in inshore waters (0 – 12 nautical miles) around the coast of England for designation as marine Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) to meet the requirements of the European Habitats Directive, and
sites of particular importance for seabirds for designation around the coast of England as Special Protection Areas (SPAs) to meet the requirements of the European Birds Directive.
The Habitats and Birds Directives together provide for the creation of a network of protected areas for important or threatened wildlife habitats and species across the European Union to be known as ‘Natura 2000’. Where sites cross the boundary into Welsh, offshore (12-200nm) or Scottish waters Natural England works jointly with the Countryside Council for Wales, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee or Scottish Natural Heritage as appropriate to identify, consult on and propose the sites.
Once sites have been identified they are recommended to Government for approval to undertake a public consultation.
Following the consultation, Natural England collates the responses and reports to Government on the outcome. If Ministerial clearance is obtained, Defra then submits the SACs to the European Commission for designation, and classifies the SPAs.
- Frequently asked questions: (162kb)
- GI boundaries for all sites in English in shore waters are available to download
.
Candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSACs)
A site becomes known as a candidate SAC (cSAC) when it is submitted to the European Commission. Candidate SACs are subject to full protection under the Habitats Directive (transposed through The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010.)
Latest news - Lune Deep and Prawle Point to Start Point
On 5 September 2011, the two areas of Lune Deep (Morecambe Bay) and Prawle Point to Start Point (South Devon) were submitted to the European Commission as amendments to the existing sites Shell Flat cSAC and Prawle Point to Plymouth Sound and Eddystone cSAC. The sites have been renamed and are now known as Shell Flat and Lune Deep cSAC and Start Point to Plymouth Sound cSAC.
Further information about all the cSACs in English inshore waters is provided in the table below, or use the list of quick links for a specific area of interest.
Formal consultation reports for these sites
1. Haisborough Hammond and Winterton UK902020369
2. Inner Dowsing, Race Bank and Ridge UK0030370
3. Margate and Long Sands UK0030371
4. Lyme Bay and Torbay UK0030372
5. Lizard Point UK0030374
6. Lands End and Cape Bank UK0030375
7. Shell Flat and Lune Deep UK0030376
8. Start Point to Plymouth Sound and Eddystone UK0030373
Special Protection Areas (SPAs)
9. Outer Thames Estuary UK9020309
10. Liverpool Bay/ Bae Lerpwl UK9020294
Special Protection Areas SPAs
| 9. Outer Thames Estuary UK9020309 | 20 August 2010 | Inshore and offshore waters | Site map: (649kb) Departmental brief: (644kb) Consultation impact assessment: (3.47mb) Final impact assessment: (2.92mb) Summary: (317kb) Draft conservation objectives and advice on operations: (509kb) | se.marine@
naturalengland.org.uk |
| 10. Liverpool Bay/Bae Lerpwl UK003020294 | 20 August 2010 | Inshore and offshore waters | Site map: (2.04mb) Departmental brief: (1.05mb) Consultation impact assessment: (4.05mb) Final impact assessment: (3.21mb) Summary: (317kb) Draft conservation objectives and advice on operations: (1.26mb) | northwest.marine@
naturalengland.org.uk |
This document is a cumulative impact assessment summary: (450kb) for all sites that were submitted to the European Commission in August 2010.
This document provides additional information: (1.73mb) accompanying the final impact assessments for all the above sites and should be read in conjunction with them.
