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Planning

• Archaeology and Heritage
• Beyond LA21
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• Community Projects Guide
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• Ecology
• Forest of Bowland
• Forestry
• Grants
• Green Tourism
• Lancashire Environment 2002
  • Foreward
  • Executive Summary
  • Introduction
  • Summary - What the indicators show
  • Bathing Water Quality
  • River Water Quality
  • Lead in Drinking Water
  • Radioactivity
  • Waste and Recycling
  • Landscape Character
  • Landscape - Historic Change
  • Landscape - Woodlands
  • Landscape - Ponds
  • Landscape - Farm Size and Type
  • Countryside
  • Heritage Assets
  • Wildlife
  • Traffic Levels
  • Global Atmosphere
  • Air Quality
  • Quality of the Urban Environment - Housing Condition
  • Quality of the Urban Environment - Urban Extent
  • Quality of the Urban Environment - Noise
  • Environmental & Social Deprivation
  • References
  • Appendix - How the indicators have been measured
  • Lancashire Environment 2002: What do you think?
• Landscape
• Minerals and Waste
• REMADE in Lancashire
• Public Rights of Way
• Ranger Service
• Rural Partnership
• School Grounds Development
• Structure Plan
• Waste Management

Lancashire Environment 2002

Wildlife

There has been an 8% increase in the area of land designated as nationally important - Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) - between 1990 and 2000. This designation now covers 8.3% of the County, slightly higher than the figure for England of 7.5%.

The area of land designated as Local Nature Reserve has increased by 321% over the same period. There are now 16 LNRs in Lancashire compared with 4 in 1990, although some of the Districts have not made any designations so far.

Some SSSIs are additionally designated by English Nature as being of international importance as Special Protection Areas , Special Areas of Conservation or Ramsar Sites, or as National Nature Reserves.The area of land designated as LNR in Lancashire falls well short of English Nature's target of LNR provision at a minimum level of 1ha per 1000 head of urban population. The Lancashire figure represents less than 4% of this target.

The condition of SSSIs has been monitored on an annual basis since 1997 but there is no regular monitoring of the condition of other sites, although there is a generally accepted view that there is an overall decline in condition.

There is a need to develop indicators to monitor the condition of sites in terms of quality of features, habitats and species.

What is the role of LCC and other agencies?

Lancashire County Council has worked with partners to produce Lancashire's Biodiversity Action Plan, which initially covers 29 species and 10 habitats of importance in the county. Further action plans are being developed to cover other habitats and species of importance.

The Biological Heritage Sites Project is a partnership involving LCC, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, District Authorities in Lancashire and landowners and managers. The project covers most of the Districts and seeks to inform landowners and managers of a BHS about how to manage their wildlife asset. It provides guidance and help in seeking funding packages to deliver biodiversity objectives.

English Nature is responsible for designating SSSIs. The County and District Councils, in agreement signate LNR.

Numbers per year
	1990	2001
No's of LNR	4	16
No's of BHS	459	1018
No's of SSSI	47	64

LNR Local Nature Reserves
BHS Biological Heritage Sites
SSSI Sites of Special Scientific Interest

 

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