These are specific areas of land or sea that receive legal protection under various national and international legislations for their ecological, geological, or cultural significance. Examples of protected sites include Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs), Ramsar sites, National Nature Reserves (NNRs), Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs). Many of these are listed under 'Designations' on the Multi-Agency Geographic Information for the Countryside (MAGIC) website.

The Environment Act 2021 sets out “national conservation sites” which have to be identified in local habitat maps that constitute the Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

GOV.UK description of a Protected Site

An internationally or European protected site:

special area of conservation (SAC)
special protection area (SPA)
Ramsar wetland
potential SPA, possible SAC or proposed Ramsar wetland

A nationally protected site:

site of special scientific interest (SSSI)
marine conservation zone (MCZ)

A locally protected site:

local nature reserve
local wildlife site
local geological site

A protected area:

national park or the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads
area of outstanding natural beauty
heritage coast

Source: HM Government

Type of Site	Link	Legislation	Notes
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)	MAGIC	Notified under Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (link)	Defined as a ‘National conservation site’ in section 108 of the Environment Act 2021 (link) and a ‘protected site’ via section 110 (link)
National Nature Reserves (NNRs)	MAGIC	Declared under Section 19 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 (link) or Section 35 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (link) (RTPI, link)	Defined as a ‘National conservation site’ in section 108 of the Environment Act 2021 (link)
Ramsar Sites / Proposed Ramsar Sites	MAGIC	Section 37A of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (link) Convention of Wetlands of International Importance,1971(as amended)	Defined as a ‘National conservation site’ in section 108 of the Environment Act 2021 (link)
Special Area of Conservation (SAC) / Site of Community importance (SCI) / Candidate SACs (cSACs) / European marine site / Marine Special Area of Conservation / Marine SAC	MAGIC	Sites are designated under Article 4(2) of the Habitats Directive (list of sites of Community importance) link Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) are sites that have been formally designated by the government of each country in whose territory the site lies. Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) are sites that were adopted by the European Commission before the end of the Transition Period following the UK's exit from the EU, but not yet formally designated by the government of each country. 3 Candidate SACs (cSACs) are sites that were submitted to the European Commission, before the end of the Transition Period following the UK's exit from the EU, but not yet formally designated. By 2021 all SCIs and cSCIs had become SACs link Under regulation 17(1)(a) of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, the Secretary of State, must provide a list of SACs (link)	Defined as a ‘European site’ under section 8 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (link) and section 27 of The Conservation of Offshore Marine Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, link By virtue of being a European Site, this is also classed as a ‘National conservation site’ in section 108 of the Environment Act 2021 (link) Note that these sites have been designated to capture the species and habitats under the old EU Directives
Special Protection Areas (SPAs) / Potential Special Protection Areas	MAGIC	an area classified pursuant to Article 4(1) or (2) of the old Wild Birds Directive or the new Wild Birds Directive (classification of special protection areas); or Under regulation 17(1)(a) of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, the Secretary of State, must provide a list of SPAs (link)	Defined as a ‘European site’ under section 8 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (link) and section 27 of The Conservation of Offshore Marine Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, link By virtue of being a European Site, this is also classed as a ‘National conservation site’ in section 108 of the Environment Act 2021 (link) and a ‘protected site’ via section 110 (link)
Biosphere reserve	MAGIC	Designated by UNESCO
Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) / Marine Nature Reserves (old name)	MAGIC	‘The appropriate authority may by order designate any area falling within subsection (2) as a marine conservation zone (an “MCZ”).’ (link)	‘Any area which, immediately before the commencement date, is designated by an order under section 36 of the 1981 Act as a marine nature reserve is to be treated, on and after that date, as if it were a marine conservation zone designated by an order under section 116.’ (link) Defined as a ‘protected site’ via section 110 of the Environment Act 2021 (link)
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty	MAGIC	An area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) is land protected by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW Act). It protects the land to conserve and enhance its natural beauty. The CROW Act sets out the roles and responsibilities that different organisations must follow to manage AONBs. There are 34 AONBs in England. (link) ‘here it appears to [F1Natural England ] that an area which is in England but not in a National Park is of such outstanding natural beauty that it is desirable that the provisions of this Part relating to areas designated under this section should apply to it, [F2Natural England may], for the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the area, by order designate the area for the purposes of this Part as an area of outstanding natural beauty.’ (link)
Local Nature Reserves (LNRs)	FOI / Natural England. Natural England open data MAGIC	Designated by local authorities under Section 21 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 The council of a county or county borough [F1or in Scotland [F2a [F3general or district] planning authority]] shall have power to provide, or secure the provision of, nature reserves on any land in their area (not being land held by, or managed in accordance with an agreement entered into with [F4the appropriate conservation body]) as to which it appears to the council expedient that it should be managed as a nature reserve.
Non-Statutory Nature Reserves / Local Wildlife Sites / County Wildlife Sites / ‘Local Site’ / Non-statutory wildlife sites / Sites of Nature Conservation Importance / Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation / County Wildlife Sites / Geological site / Geomorphological Sites / nature improvement area / wildlife corridors / Important Bird Areas / Regionally Important Geological and Geomorphological Sites - RIGGS)		There are a series of non-statutory wildlife sites that have a range of names and which are designated by the relevant local authority or conservation organizations acting as landowners. They generally represent areas of value in a local context but have no legal protection (although they might contain species that are legally protected such as bats and great crested newts). Although such sites are not protected by law, they often receive a degree of protection through local planning policy. The most common terms used for these sites are as follows. Important Bird Areas. This term is used to refer to sites that are considered to be of key importance for bird life, and these sites are identified by BirdLife International and the UK partner RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds). They confer no formal protection in either law or policy but would represent a material consideration in any development proposal. County Wildlife Sites. This term is often used to refer to sites that are designated by the county council or unitary authority and represent a network of key sites within the county that are not of sufficient quality to justify Local Nature Reserve designation. Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation/Sites of Nature Conservation Importance. This term and the slightly different alternative term are most often used to denote sites of some value in a very local context, such as road verges that have relatively high botanical diversity. ‘National planning policy expects plans to identify and map these sites, and to include policies that not only secure their protection from harm or loss but also help to enhance them and their connection to wider ecological networks. Local planning authorities can take a lead in establishing and maintaining partnerships and systems to identify, manage, enhance and safeguard local sites. The positive engagement and co-operation of land owners and their representative bodies can contribute significantly to the success of these partnerships.’ (HM Government, link) Definition of Local Wildlife Site here.
Sites of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation (London only)
Sites of Borough Importance for Nature Conservation (London only)
Wildlife Refuges
Sites of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCls) / Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs),		These are non-statutory sites of at least county importance for wildlife which meet agreed selection criteria. The status of this type of site varies considerably. It is
Biodiversity Opportunity Areas		These are determined by the Local Planning Authority (link)

Irreplaceable habitats / Priority Habitats / Protected Habitats

Irreplaceable habitats

These are habitats such as ancient woodlands, veteran trees, or certain wetlands, are habitats that have developed over a long period and cannot be easily replaced or recreated if lost. These are set out in legislation:

Blanket bog

Lowland fens

Limestone pavements

Coastal sand dunes

In addition, there are also Ancient woodland, Ancient trees and veteran trees, Spartina saltmarsh swards and Mediterranean saltmarsh scrub.

Development on irreplaceable habitats, and consequent habitat losses and gains, are to be accounted for, either in a separate section of the biodiversity gain plan template, or a separate report to be submitted to the relevant planning authority alongside the biodiversity gain plan. A separate tab of the metric calculator tool must be completed which documents all irreplaceable habitat onsite. This will ensure losses of, and compensation for, irreplaceable habitat is recorded and communicated clearly

Biodiversity credits cannot be used to compensate for the loss of irreplaceable habitats.

Type of Site	Link	Legislation	Notes
Ancient Woodland	Natural England dataset, link	Receives protection through planning policies, such as the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in England.	It’s any area that’s been wooded continuously since at least 1600 AD. It includes: ancient semi-natural woodland mainly made up of trees and shrubs native to the site, usually arising from natural regeneration plantations on ancient woodland sites - replanted with conifer or broadleaved trees that retain ancient woodland features, such as undisturbed soil, ground flora and fungi
Ancient and veteran trees

Priority habitats is derived from the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP), which was replaced by the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework, and the national Biodiversity Strategies for each of the devolved administrations are set out in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act (2006) Section 41 (HM Government, link; NERC Act 2004, s.41, link). Although Section 41 does not provide direct legal protection for these habitats and species, it places a duty on public authorities to have regard for conserving these priority habitats and species while exercising their functions. This means that public authorities must take into account the potential impact of their decisions on these habitats and species and aim to support their conservation where possible. While the NERC Act does not offer the same level of legal protection as other legislation like the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 or the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, it plays a crucial role in guiding conservation actions and policy in England. Similar lists of priority habitats and species exist for the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The list of priority habitats is shown in the table below, along with links to the definitions of these habitats, which are from 'UK Biodiversity Action Plan: Priority Habitat Descriptions', published in 2008. Note this document was updated in July 2010 and December 2011, with some amended definitions.

Type of Site	Link	Legislation	Notes
Priority Habitat Inventory	Natural England dataset, link	Section 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006
Rivers (updated 2011)			New priority habitat [including existing Chalk Rivers priority habitat] (scope clarified in 2010)
Oligotrophic and Dystrophic Lakes			New priority habitat
Ponds			New priority habitat
Mesotrophic Lakes			No change
Eutrophic Standing Waters			No change
Aquifer Fed Naturally Fluctuating Water Bodies			No change
Arable Field Margins			Revised name (previously 'Cereal Field Margins'); scope clarified
Hedgerows			Revised name (previously 'Ancient and/or Species-Rich Hedgerows'); scope expanded
Traditional Orchards			New priority habitat
Wood-Pasture and Parkland (updated December 2011)			Revised name (previously 'Lowland Wood-Pasture and Parkland'); scope expanded
Upland Oakwood			No change
Lowland Beech and Yew Woodland			No change
Upland Mixed Ashwoods			No change
Wet Woodland			No change
Lowland Mixed Deciduous Woodland			Formally adopted as priority habitat
Upland Birchwoods			Formally adopted as priority
Native Pine Woodlands			No change
Lowland Dry Acid Grassland			No change
Lowland Calcareous Grassland			No change; scope clarified
Upland Calcareous Grassland			No change
Lowland Meadows			No change
Upland Hay Meadows			No change
Coastal and Floodplain Grazing Marsh			No change
Lowland Heathland			No change; scope clarified
Upland Heathland			No change
Upland Flushes, Fens and Swamps			New priority habitat
Purple Moor Grass and Rush Pastures			No change
Lowland Fens			Revised name (previously 'Fens')
Reedbeds			No change
Lowland Raised Bog			No change
Blanket Bog			No change
Mountain Heaths and Willow Scrub			New priority habitat
Inland Rock Outcrop and Scree Habitats			New priority habitat
Calaminarian Grasslands			New priority habitat
Open Mosaic Habitats on Previously Developed Land (updated July 2010)			New priority habitat (scope clarified in 2010)
Limestone Pavements			No change
Maritime Cliff and Slopes			No change
Coastal Vegetated Shingle			No change
Machair			No change
Coastal Sand Dunes			No change

Intertidal Chalk			Revised name (previously part of 'Littoral and Sublittoral Chalk')
Intertidal Underboulder Communities			New priority habitat
Sabellaria alveolata reefs			No change
Coastal Saltmarsh			No change
Intertidal Mudflats			Revised name (previously 'Mudflats')
Seagrass Beds			No change (includes both intertidal and subtidal beds)
Sheltered Muddy Gravels			No change
Peat and Clay Exposures with Piddocks			New priority habitat
Subtidal Chalk			Revised name (previously part of 'Littoral and Sublittoral Chalk')
Tide-swept Channels			Revised name (previously 'Tidal Rapids'); scope expanded
Fragile Sponge and Anthozoan Communities on Subtidal Rocky Habitats			New priority habitat
Estuarine Rocky Habitats			New priority habitat
Seamount Communities			New priority habitat
Carbonate Mounds			New priority habitat
Cold-water Coral Reefs			Revised name (previously 'Lophelia pertusa Reefs')
Deep-sea Sponge Communities			New priority habitat
Sabellaria spinulosa Reefs			No change
Subtidal Sands and Gravels			Revised name (previously 'Sublittoral Sands and Gravels')
Horse Mussel Beds			Revised name (previously 'Modiolus modiolus Beds')
Mud Habitats in Deep Water			No change
File Shell Beds			New priority habitat
Maerl Beds			No change
Serpulid Reefs			No change
Blue Mussel Beds on Sediment			New priority habitat
Saline Lagoons			No change

Protected habitats: These are habitats that are afforded specific legal protection under UK and/or retained EU legislation. The primary purpose of this protection is to conserve and maintain the ecological integrity and biodiversity of these areas.

Type of Site	Link
1110 Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time	36
1130 Estuaries	18
1140 Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide	30
1150 Coastal lagoons	20
1160 Large shallow inlets and bays	14
1170 Reefs	59
1180 Submarine structures made by leaking gases	3
1210 Annual vegetation of drift lines	13
1220 Perennial vegetation of stony banks	12
1230 Vegetated sea cliffs of the Atlantic and Baltic coasts	40
1310 Salicornia and other annuals colonising mud and sand	13
1320 Spartina swards (Spartinion maritimae)	2
1330 Atlantic salt meadows (Glauco-Puccinellietalia maritimae)	26
1340 Inland salt meadows	1
1420 Mediterranean and thermo-Atlantic halophilous scrubs (Sarcocornetea fruticosi)	4
2110 Embryonic shifting dunes	24
2120 Shifting dunes along the shoreline with Ammophila arenaria ('white dunes')	34
2130 Fixed dunes with herbaceous vegetation ('grey dunes')	32
2140 Decalcified fixed dunes with Empetrum nigrum	2
2150 Atlantic decalcified fixed dunes (Calluno-Ulicetea)	10
2160 Dunes with Hippophae rhamnoides	2
2170 Dunes with Salix repens ssp. argentea (Salicion arenariae)	14
2190 Humid dune slacks	26
21A0 Machairs	8
2250 Coastal dunes with Juniperus spp.	2
2330 Inland dunes with open Corynephorus and Agrostis grasslands	1
3110 Oligotrophic waters containing very few minerals of sandy plains (Littorelletalia uniflorae)	4
3130 Oligotrophic to mesotrophic standing waters with vegetation of the Littorelletea uniflorae and/or of the Isoëto-Nanojuncetea	47
3140 Hard oligo-mesotrophic waters with benthic vegetation of Chara spp.	15
3150 Natural eutrophic lakes with Magnopotamion or Hydrocharition-type vegetation	16
3160 Natural dystrophic lakes and ponds	23
3170 Mediterranean temporary ponds	1
3180 Turloughs	2
3260 Water courses of plain to montane levels with the Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho-Batrachion vegetation	23
4010 Northern Atlantic wet heaths with Erica tetralix	72
4020 Temperate Atlantic wet heaths with Erica ciliaris and Erica tetralix	4
4030 European dry heaths	117
4040 Dry Atlantic coastal heaths with Erica vagans	1
4060 Alpine and Boreal heaths	33
4080 Sub-Arctic Salix spp. scrub	15
5110 Stable xerothermophilous formations with Buxus sempervirens on rock slopes (Berberidion p.p.)	1
5130 Juniperus communis formations on heaths or calcareous grasslands	17
6130 Calaminarian grasslands of the Violetalia calaminariae	20
6150 Siliceous alpine and boreal grasslands	29
6170 Alpine and subalpine calcareous grasslands	15
6210 Semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies: on calcareous substrates (Festuco-Brometalia), ( note that this includes the priority feature "important orchid rich sites").	59
6230 Species-rich Nardus grassland, on siliceous substrates in mountain areas (and submountain areas in continental Europe)	22
6410 Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clayey-silt-laden soils (Molinion caeruleae)	33
6430 Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels	28
6510 Lowland hay meadows (Alopecurus pratensis, Sanguisorba officinalis)	5
6520 Mountain hay meadows	2
7110 Active raised bogs	54
7120 Degraded raised bogs still capable of natural regeneration	33
7130 Blanket bogs	77
7140 Transition mires and quaking bogs	41
7150 Depressions on peat substrates of the Rhynchosporion	32
7210 Calcareous fens with Cladium mariscus and species of the Caricion davallianae	13
7220 Petrifying springs with tufa formation (Cratoneurion)	17
7230 Alkaline fens	49
7240 Alpine pioneer formations of the Caricion bicoloris-atrofuscae	15
Rocky habitats and caves	No. of SACs
8110 Siliceous scree of the montane to snow levels (Androsacetalia alpinae and Galeopsietalia ladani)	29
8120 Calcareous and calcshist screes of the montane to alpine levels (Thlaspietea rotundifolii)	11
8210 Calcareous rocky slopes with chasmophytic vegetation	35
8220 Siliceous rocky slopes with chasmophytic vegetation	33
8240 Limestone pavements	11
8310 Caves not open to the public	6
8330 Submerged or partially submerged sea caves	17
9120 Atlantic acidophilous beech forests with Ilex and sometimes also Taxus in the shrublayer (Quercion robori-petraeae or Ilici-Fagenion)	7
9130 Asperulo-Fagetum beech forests	11
9160 Sub-Atlantic and medio-European oak or oak-hornbeam forests of the Carpinion betuli	2
9180 Tilio-Acerion forests of slopes, screes and ravines	48
9190 Old acidophilous oak woods with Quercus robur on sandy plains	7
91A0 Old sessile oak woods with Ilex and Blechnum in the British Isles	71
91C0 Caledonian forest	12
91D0 Bog woodland	17
91E0 Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior (Alno-Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae)	36
91J0 Taxus baccata woods of the British Isles	13

Habitat type: Grassland - Modified grassland

Habitat type: Grassland - Other lowland acid grassland

Habitat type: Grassland - Tall herb communities (H6430)

Habitat type: Grassland - Upland hay meadows

Habitat type: Sparsely vegetated land - Calaminarian grassland