From ancient woodlands and vibrant wetlands to the bursts of colour along wildflower-rich road verges, our landscapes are scattered with important yet often overlooked places where nature thrives. The spaces, known as Local Wildlife Sites (LWS), play a vital role in supporting biodiversity.   

Local Wildlife Sites are identified and selected locally using robust, scientifically-determined criteria and detailed ecological surveys. What makes them so important is that these sites don’t just support wildlife within the local area - they support rare or threatened plants, animals and habitats across the country.

With significant local, regional and national wildlife value, these sites form the backbone of our ecological networks, acting as wildlife corridors linking and protecting other sites important for nature like Sites of Special Scientific (SSSIs) and nature reserves.   

Local Wildlife Sites can be found on public and private land, owned by individuals or organisations including businesses, charities, schools and estates. While their role is critical, their value is poorly recognised, and their protection is limited.

Unlike Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Local Wildlife Sites don’t have legal protection. Instead, they rely on good local planning policies and decisions and voluntary management. This means they’re more vulnerable to threats like development, neglect or poor management.   

What is 30by30 and how do Local Wildlife Sites fit in?

The Wildlife Trusts are working in partnership with Natural England (NE) on a project to understand the status of LWS and what is needed to ensure they are better recognised, managed and protected so they deliver more for nature and contribute to 30by30.

30by30 is the global initiative to protect and effectively manage at least 30% of land for nature by 2030, which the UK government has committed to support.

The first phase of our project set out to understand the current state of LWS partnerships and the systems they use to identify, monitor and manage LWS across England.

We’ve produced a report that paints a picture of Local Wildlife Sites today, understanding how LWS partnerships are functioning, what LWS data is being collected and stored, and how accessible this information is.  

Based on the responses from LWS partnerships, there were a total of 44,240 LWSs reported across England, covering a total of 750,475 hectares (ha). For context, that’s significantly more than the area covered by National Nature Reserves (around 110,000 ha) and not far behind the coverage of SSSIs (1,009,620 ha). The report also highlights any data gaps, licencing issues and thoughts on data sharing.  

LWS are crucial for nature’s recovery, but these sites need proper recognition, long-term protection and support to ensure they’re managed in a way that allows wildlife to thrive and so they can count to Government’s commitment to achieve 30by30.

Only around 8% of the land area of England is designated as nationally or internationally protected sites. Existing protected sites alone will not achieve nature’s recovery and/or meet our international commitment to 30by30 – this is where Local Wildlife Sites come in.

Covering 5% of England, LWS offer huge potential to contribute towards the 30by30 target under a category known as OECMS – Other Effective Area-Based Conservation measure.

To count towards 30by30, a site must be managed in a way that benefits biodiversity for the long term. A site doesn’t need to be legally protected, but must have clear conservation outcomes, effective governance and safeguards in place that protect nature for at least 20 years.

Achieving 30by30 needs to be more than a scattergun approach of just reaching 30% coverage with a tick-list of areas that ‘count’. It needs to be about making a significant difference to nature’s recovery with consideration of how to ensure 30% of land and sea is protected, connected and in active recovery for nature by 2030. 

We are continuing to work with Natural England to seek solutions to the challenges identified through the project, so that LWS are better protected through policy and ensure the long-term collection, management and sharing of LWS data. 

Planning and Infrastructure Bill - an opportunity not to be missed

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill and upcoming review of England's national planning rulebook provide opportunity to improve protection for these vital sites. 

We're pleased to see Gideon Amos' amendment proposal to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (PIB), which seeks to protect LWS through new planning strategies. 

However the Planning and Infrastructure Bill as a whole is still a concern. Please help us to show the Government that they need to amend the Bill so it delivers for nature and development by signing our open letter. 

Sign the open letter to Government