HC Deb 17 July 1991 vol 195 cc217-21W
Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he proposes to take to ensure that local planning authorities are aware of the location of sites which have been identified by the statutory nature

Designated Sites
Site County SPA/Ramsar Date designated
Rockliffe Marshes Cumbria SPA/Ramsar 1 October 1986
Irthinghead Mires Cumbria Ramsar 17 July 1985
Northumberland
Leighton Moss Lancashire SPA/Ramsar 28 November 1985
Alt Estuary (part) Merseyside SPA/Ramsar 28 November 1985
Ribble Estuary (part) Lancashire SPA 31 August 1982
Martin Mere Lancashire SPA/Ramsar 28 November 1985
Lindisfarne (part) Northumberland Ramsar 5 January 1976
Fame Islands Northumberland SPA 17 July 1985
Coquet Island Northumberland SPA 17 July 1985
Holburn Lake and Moss Northumberland SPA/Ramsar 17 July 1985
Derwent Ings North Yorkshire SPA/Ramsar 17 July 1985
Humberside
Moor House Cumbria SPA 31 August 1982
Rostherne Mere Cheshire Ramsar 24 July 1981
The Wash Lincolnshire SPA/Ramsar 30 March 1988
Norfolk
Ouse Washes Cambridgeshire Ramsar 5 January 1976
Norfolk
North Norfolk Coast Norfolk SPA/Ramsar 20 January 1989
Redgrave and Lophara Fens Norfolk Ramsar 15 February 1991
Suffolk
Minsmere-Walberswick (part) Suffolk Ramsar 5 January 1976
Orfordness-Havergate (part) Suffolk SPA 31 August 1982
Abberton Reservoir Essex Ramsar 24 July 1981
Bure Marshes Norfolk Ramsar 5 January 1976
Hickling Broad and Horsey Mere Norfolk Ramsar 5 January 1976
Chew Valley Lake Avon SPA 17 July 1985
Chesil Beach and The Fleet Dorset SPA/Ramsar 17 July 1985
Chichester and Langstone Harbours Hampshire SPA/Ramsar 28 October 1987
West Sussex
The Swale (part) Kent SPA/Ramsar 17 July 1985
Pagham Harbour West Sussex SPA/Ramsar 30 March 1988
Dee Estuary Clwyd SPA/Ramsar 17 July 1985
Cheshire
Merseyside
Upper Severn Estuary Gloucestershire SPA/Ramsar 5 February 1988
Bridgwater Bay Somerset Ramsar 5 January 1976
Potential Sites
Sites County SPA/Ramsar
Upper Solway Flats and Marshes Cumbria SPA/Ramsar
Dumfries and Galloway
Duddon Estuary Cumbria SPA/Ramsar
Esthwaite Water Cumbria Ramsar

conservation agencies as meeting criteria for designation as SPAs under EC directive 79/409 on the conservation of wild birds or under the Ramsar convention.

Mr. Baldry

Designated and potential special protection areas and Ramsar sites are afforded protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 through the sites of special scientific interest system. Local planning authorities are already informed of the location of these sites as part of the SSSI designation process. A list of both potential and designated SPAs and Ramsar sites has been published in theOfficial Report and is updated.

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those sites so far designated or identified for designation in England as special protection areas under EC directive 79/409 on the conservation of wild birds or wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar convention on wetlands of international importance especially as waterfowl habitat.

Mr. Baldry

The tables list all those sites in England which have been designated as either special protection areas, or Ramsar sites, or both and those which have been identified by the Nature Conservancy Council as potential special protection areas or Ramsar sites.

Sites County SPA/Ramsar
Northumberland
Morecambe Bay Cumbria SPA/Ramsar
Lancashire
Ribble and Alt Estuaries Lancashire SPA/Ramsar
Merseyside
Mersey Estuary Merseyside SPA/Ramsar
Cheshire
Ravenglass Cumbria Ramsar
Bowland Fells Lancashire SPA
Thorne and Hatfield Moors South Yorkshire SPA/Ramsar
Humberside
Shap Fells Cumbria SPA
Solway Mosses Cumbria Ramsar
Duddon Mosses Cumbria Ramsar
North of England Montane Sites Cumbria SPA
Lindisfarne Northumberland SPA/Ramsar
Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast Cleveland SPA/Ramsar
Malham Tarn North Yorkshire Ramsar
Flamborough Head and Bempton Cliffs Humberside SPA
Humber Flats, Marshes and Coast Humberside SPA/Ramsar
Lincolnshire
Northumberland Coast Northumberland SPA/Ramsar
North Yorkshire Moors North Yorkshire SPA
Hornsea Mere Humberside SPA
Yorkshire Dale Moorlands North Yorkshire Cumbria SPA
North Pennine Moors Cumbria SPA/Ramsar
Northumberland
Durham
North Yorkshire
Peak District Moors Derbyshire SPA
South Yorkshire
Staffordshire
Midland Meres and Mosses Cheshire Ramsar
Shropshire
Staffordshire
Walmore Common Gloucestershire SPA/Ramsar
Norfolk
The Wash—Gibraltar Point Lincolnshire SPA/Ramsar
Nene Washes Cambridgeshire SPA/Ramsar
Ouse Washes Cambridgeshire SPA
Norfolk
Rutland Water Leicestershire SPA/Ramsar
Roydon Common Norfolk Ramsar
Minsmere—Walberswick Suffolk SPA/Ramsar
Orfordness—Havergate Suffolk SPA/Ramsar
Stour and Orwell Estuary Suffolk SPA/Ramsar
Essex
Hamford Water Essex SPA/Ramsar
Abberton Reservoir Essex SPA
Benfleet and Southend Marshes Essex SPA/Ramsar
Breckland heaths Norfolk SPA
Suffolk
Dersingham Bog Norfolk Ramsar
Chippenham Fen Cambridgeshire Ramsar
Mid-Essex Coast Essex SPA/Ramsar
Norfolk Broads Norfolk SPA/Ramsar
Deben Estuary Suffolk SPA/Ramsar
Great Yarmouth North Denes Norfolk SPA
Somerset Levels and Moors Somerset SPA/Ramsar
Taw and Torridge Estuary Devon SPA
Isles of Scilly Coastal Habitats Cornwall SPA/Ramsar
Exe Estuary Devon SPA/Ramsar
Dorset Heathlands Dorset SPA
Poole Harbour Dorset SPA/Ramsar
East Devon Heaths Devon SPA
Tamar Complex Devon SPA
Cornwall
Bodmin Moor Cornwall SPA
New Forest Hampshire SPA/Ramsar
Portsmouth Harbour Hampshire SPA
Southampton Water and Solent Marshes Hampshire SPA/Ramsar
Avon Valley Hampshire SPA/Ramsar
Dorset
Porton Down Wiltshire SPA
Hampshire
Sites County SPA/Ramsar
Windsor Forest and Great Park Berkshire SPA
Surrey
Woolmer Forest Hampshire SPA
The Swale Kent SPA/Ramsar
Thames Estuary and Marshes Kent SPA/Ramsar
Medway Estuary and Marshes Kent SPA/Ramsar
Thanet Coast Kent SPA/Ramsar
Pevensey Levels East Sussex SPA/Ramsar
Dungeness to Pett Levels Kent SPA/Ramsar
East Sussex
Lee Valley Greater London SPA
Stodmarsh Kent SPA/Ramsar
Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons Surrey SPA/Ramsar
Chobham to Yateley Commons Surrey SPA
Hampshire
Berkshire
Amberley West Sussex SPA/Ramsar
South West London Reservoirs and Gravel Pits Greater London SPA/Ramsar
Berkshire
Surrey
Severn Estuary Gloucestershire SPA/Ramsar
Avon
Somerset
South Glamorgan
Gwent

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to ensure that port and harbour authorities are aware of the locations and significance of sites which have been identified by the statutory nature conservation agencies as meeting criteria for designation as SPAs under directive 79/409 on the conservation of wild birds or under the Ramsar convention.

Mr. Baldry

[holding answer 11 July 1991]: Designated and potential special protection areas and Ramsar sites are afforded protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 through the sites of special scientific interest system. Harbour and port authorities, as owners/ occupiers, are already informed of the location and ornithological significance of these sites as part of this process. SSSIs are entered as a local land charge.