CONTACT

Mail :	Nature Conservation Dept. of Development Plymouth City Council Plymouth PL1 2AA
Phone :	01752 304229
Email :	wildlife@plymouth.gov.uk

Designated conservation areas

This page describes the variety of nature conservation designations. The list below is not exhaustive but includes those designations most relevant to the Plymouth area in order of importance (from local to international). Click here for a map depicting the locations of areas found within Plymouth's boundaries.

County Wildlife Site (CWS)

These sites are selected by the Devon Biodiversity Records Centre principally for their floral composition. There are 23 County Wildlife Sites in Plymouth.

Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS)

These sites complement Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and are selected for their educational, historical and aesthetic value by the Devon RIGS Group.

Local Nature Reserve (LNR)

These are living green spaces which are important to people and support a vibrant wildlife. Local Nature Reserves offer the chance to study, to learn, or to simply enjoy nature. All unitary, district and county councils can acquire, declare and manage Local Nature Reserves. There are eight Local Nature Reserves in Plymouth.

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

These are areas of high scenic quality that deserve protection to conserve and improve the natural beauty of their landscapes. Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty differ from National Parks as there are fewer opportunities for outdoor recreation. There are three Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty near to Plymouth, Tamar Valley AONB, South Devon AONB and Cornwall AONB.

Marine Conservation Zone (MCZs)

The Marine and Coastal Access Bill 2009 creates a network of Marine Conservation Zones which will become part of a coherent network of ecologically sound marine protected areas, which will also include SACs, SPAs, subtidal SSSIs, and voluntary marine protected areas such as Wembury. The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 received Royal Assent on 12 November 2009 and currently there are no Marine Conservation Zones near to Plymouth. The four-year Finding Sanctuary project aims to design a network of marine protected areas (including Marine Conservation Zones) for the coasts and seas of South West England. You can view much more detail of this project using their WebGIS.

National Park

Everyone can enjoy these beautiful and spectacular areas, but our National Parks are mostly privately owned land where people live and work. Farms, villages and towns are protected along with the landscape and wildlife under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. Dartmoor National Park was one of the first National Parks established in 1951, and is easily accessible from Plymouth.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

Areas of land of special interest for their flora, fauna, geological or physiographical features. Sites of Special Scientific Interest cover around seven per cent of the UK's land area and Natural England has responsibility for identifying and protecting them in England under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Natural England also provide information and advice to owners and occupiers of Sites of Special Scientific Interest. There are four green space Sites of Special Scientific Interest and nine geology Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Special Area of Conservation (SAC)

Special Area of Conservation (SAC) have special protection under the European Union's Habitat Directive, and are a vital part of global efforts to conserve biodiversity. As of 2007 there were 608 Special Area of Conservation in the UK, which form part of a network of protected sites across the European Union called NATURA 2000. There is one Special Area of Conservation within Plymouth (Plymouth Sound and Estuaries) and two others nearby (Dartmoor and South Dartmoor Woods).

Special Protection Area (SPA)

Special Protection Area (SPA) are of national and international importance for rare and vulnerable bird species found in the European Union, and are protected under the European Union's Birds Directive. Together with Special Area of Conservation these areas form the NATURA 2000 network or protected sites across the European Union. There is one Special Protection Area within Plymouth, the Tamar Estuaries Complex.

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