HC Deb 14 April 1981 vol 3 cc132-3W
Mr. Hardy

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the practice of the in relation to informing owners and occupiers of the existence of a site of special scientific interest on their land, the nature of that interest and the activities which might affect it and to describe the circumstances in which owners and occupiers might justifiably claim that they have not been informed of the status of their land by the

Mr. Monro

It is normal practice for the Nature Conservancy Council, before and after notification of an site of special scientific interest to the local planning authority, to write to all traceable owners of the land in question advising them of the fact that notification is being/has been made and the reasons for notification.

The standard letters used by the NCC refer to the fact that changes in management could adversely affect the scientific interest of the site and request prior consultation on such changes; a description of the scientific interest and a map are enclosed. Owners are asked to supply the names and addresses of any tenants so that they can be notified separately and invited to inform NCC if they give up their interest in the land.

Owners may be unaware of the status of their land if:

  1. (i) the NCC were unable to determine the ownership of the land or trace the owner.
  2. (ii) the NCC were not advised to a change of ownership and the new owner had not been informed by the previous owner.
  3. (iii) the owner was not informed by his agent or factor.

Occupiers may be unaware of the status of their land if:

  1. (i) on a change of tenancy the new occupier was not informed by either the previous tenant or the owner.
  2. (ii) the owner failed to advise NCC of tenancy details.

It is also possible that some owners and occupiers of SSSI notified soon after the enactment of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, but before the standard procedures outlined above had been brought into general practice, might not have been formally advised on the status of their land.

Following the introduction of the new agricultural and horticultural grants arrangements last year the NCC is attempting to contact all owners and occupiers of SSSI to advise them of the procedures relating to grant applications affecting SSSI.