Natural England - 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
Natura 2000 – new Marine Conservation Areas: commencement of formal consultation
Natural England, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the Countryside Council for Wales have undertaken a formal consultation on 10 possible marine Special Areas of Conservation and 2 potential Special Protection Areas in English, Welsh and offshore waters around the UK.
The formal consultation closed on 26 February 2010.
Background
Natural England, the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) have been working together as the Government’s statutory advisors to identify and propose:
i. examples of marine habitats in territorial waters around the coast of England for designation as marine Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) to meet the requirements of the European Habitats Directive;
ii. examples of marine habitats in UK offshore waters for designation as marine Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) to meet the requirements of the European Habitats Directive; and
iii. sites of particular importance for seabirds for designation around the coast of England and Wales 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 across the European Union to be known as ‘Natura 2000’. Once sites have been identified as draft SACs or potential SPAs they are recommended to Government for approval to undertake a public consultation.
Natural England is responsible for possible SACs and potential SPAs and conducting public consultation on proposals for English inshore waters (0- 12 nautical miles), the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) is responsible for Welsh inshore waters, and JNCC is responsible for the UK offshore waters (12-200 nautical miles and the UK Continental Shelf).
Natural England will be progressing with 10 possible SACs and 2 potential SPAs, which are listed below. One of these sites, Liverpool Bay, crosses into Welsh inshore waters and is being progressed jointly with CCW. Two sites, Haisborough Hammond and Winterton and Inner Dowsing, Race Bank and North Ridge, cross into offshore waters and are being progressed jointly with JNCC. Two sites, Bassurelle Sandbank and North West Rockall Bank, lie entirely in offshore waters.
For information relating to other offshore sites please see JNCC’s website.
The purpose of the consultation
The purpose of the consultation is to seek the view of all interested parties on:
The scientific case for the designation of the SACs and SPAs listed above: and
The assessment of the likely economic and social impact of the designation of each site.
The Habitat and Birds Directives do not permit socio-economic impacts to influence the choice of sites or their boundaries. The UK as a member state must identify the sites and boundaries based only on the presence of habitats and bird populations supplied in the Directives. This means that the impact assessments cannot influence site selection or boundaries.
Impact assessments have been produced to meet with Government guidance. The information in the impact assessments may be used to inform the design of any measures that may be needed to manage activities, to ensure the features for which the sites have been designated are conserved.
In a separate exercise, Natural England is also working with JNCC to begin identifying those areas that could be recommended as Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. The identification of MCZs will follow a separate process than that for Natura 2000 sites; it does not form part of this consultation.
Frequently asked questions – general 
Frequently asked questions specific to fisheries
Site documentation
Please use the contact provided if you would like more information on each site.
If commenting on impact assessments, please also read the annexes to impact assessments , which applies to all the sites.
Please note that the Draft Conservation Objectives and advice on operations are for information only and DO NOT form part of the consultation.
The inshore draft Natura 2000 (N2K) sites
The possible SACs are:
1. Inner Dowsing, Race Bank and North Ridge, (inshore and offshore waters of southern North Sea)
Site map
Selection Assessment Document
Impact assessment
Draft Conservation Objectives and Advice on Operations
For more information contact: emmarine@naturalengland.org.uk
2. Haisborough, Hammond and Winterton, (inshore and offshore waters of southern North Sea)
Site map
Selection Assessment Document
Impact assessment
Draft Conservation Objectives and Advice on Operations
For more information contact: eemarine@naturalengland.org.uk
Aggregations of Sabellaria spinulosa have recently been recorded in the vicinity of East Cross Sands, within the southern part of the Haisborough, Hammond and Winterton possible Special Area of Conservation boundary. Limited ground truth data (a single grab sample and one trawl line) indicate the presence of possible reef structures.
Natural England and the JNCC will need to carry out further investigations into the spatial extent and patchiness of Sabellaria spinulosa aggregations. To assist us with this work we are seeking any further data or information from consultees. Once we have this we will be able to determine whether these aggregations of S. spinulosa qualify as Annex I biogenic reef, thereby determining whether S. spinulosa reef should be included as an interest feature of the Haisborough, Hammond and Winterton possible SAC.
For more information on Sabellaria spinulosa .
3. Margate and Long Sands, (Thames Estuary)
Site map
Selection Assessment Document
Impact assessment
Draft Conservation Objectives and Advice on Operations
For more information contact: semarine@naturalengland.org.uk
4. Poole Bay to Lyme Bay Reefs, (Dorset and Devon coast)
Site map 1 and map 2
Selection Assessment Document
Impact assessment
Draft Conservation Objectives and Advice on Operations
For more information contact: swmarine@naturalengland.org.uk
5. Prawle Point to Plymouth Sound and Eddystone, (Devon coast)
Site map
Selection Assessment Document
Impact assessment
Draft Conservation Objectives and Advice on Operations
For more information contact: swmarine@naturalengland.org.uk
6. Lizard Point, (Cornwall)
Site map
Selection Assessment Document
Impact assessment
Draft Conservation Objectives and Advice on Operations
For more information contact: swmarine@naturalengland.org.uk
7. Lands End and Cape Bank, (Cornwall)
Site map
Selection Assessment Document
Impact assessment
Draft Conservation Objectives and Advice on Operations
For more information contact: swmarine@naturalengland.org.uk
8. Shell Flat and Lune Deep, (Morecambe Bay)
Site map
Selection Assessment Document
Impact assessment
Draft Conservation Objectives and Advice on Operations
For more information contact nwmarine@naturalengland.org.uk
GI boundary information for the possible SACs are available for download.
Selection of the new English SACs
The potential SPAs are:
1. Liverpool Bay
Site map
Departmental Brief
Impact assessment
Draft Conservation Objectives and Advice on Operations
For more information contact nwmarine@naturalengland.org.uk
2. Outer Thames Estuary.
Site map
Departmental Brief
Impact assessment
Draft Conservation Objectives and Advice on Operations
For more information contact: semarine@naturalengland.org.uk
GI boundary information for the potential SPAs are available for download.
Following the consultation
Following the consultation, Natural England, JNCC and CCW will collate the responses ,and report to Government on the outcome, and drafting and submission of final site recommendations and impact assessments to Defra. A summary report will be available on this website.
Taking account of the consultation responses, it is anticipated that by August 2010 Government will decide whether to submit the SACs to the European Commission, and whether to classify the SPAs.