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Ecology

• Biological Heritage Sites
• Geological Heritage Sites
• Habitat Management Advice
• JLSP Landscape & Heritage SPG
• Lancashire Biodiversity Action Plan
• Lancashire Lifescape
• Lancashire Red Data List of Vascular Plants
• Lancashire Rural Futures
• Nature Reserves in Lancashire
• Protected Species and Your Planning Application
• Requests for Information
• Biodiversity - Reports/Publicity
• Statutory Wildlife Sites
  • International Wildlife Sites
  • National Wildlife Sites
  • Local Wildlife Sites
• Contacts

National Wildlife Sites

Acorns

Nationally important statutory sites are National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

National Nature Reserves (NNRs)

English Nature describe National Nature Reserves as: places where wildlife comes first. They were established to protect the most important areas of wildlife habitat and geological formations in Britain, and as places for scientific research. This does not mean they are "no-go areas" for people. It means that we must be careful not to damage the wildlife of these fragile places .

There are two National Nature reserves in Lancashire: Gait Barrows, a 69 ha. site near Lancaster containing important limestone habitats and Ribble Marshes, covering 4,520 ha. of intertidal and saltmarsh habitats at the mouth of the Ribble Estuary, it is of considerable ornithological value.

Information for people wishing to visit both of these reserves is available by searching the National Nature Reserves database at the English Nature web site.

Thumbnail Link to Location Map of NNRs
(73kb PDF)

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)

Sites of Special Scientific Interest are the best examples of our natural heritage of wildlife habitats, geological features and landforms. They are notified by English Nature.

The nature conservation interest of SSSIs must be taken fully into account before development, or a change in management practice which would cause damage, is permitted. Development proposals which would damage SSSIs will normally be refused.

There are presently 68 SSSIs in Lancashire covering some 42,000 ha. Summary details of each site are provided below.

Thumbnail Link to Location Map of SSSIs
(108kb PDF) (External)

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