HL Deb 01 March 1983 vol 439 c1132WA
Lord Melchett

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) have been unable to renotify any sites of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset, and only one in Devon, since Section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act came into force; how many SSSIs there are in each county; and when the NCC expect to have finished renotifying all these sites.

Lord Skelmersdale

Many of the sites involved require some redrawing of boundaries which must be precise because of the need to register the land. The NCC are also concerned that renotifications do not take place until they have fully explained the effect to owners and occupiers. This work is staff intensive and has inevitably meant a gradual start, but the NCC hope to make considerable progress in 1983 and move substantially towards completion by the following year.