Conservation in the United Kingdom

This page gives an overview of the complex structure of environmental and cultural conservation in the United Kingdom.

With the advent of devolved government for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and of evolving regional government for England, the responsibilities for environment and conservation in the United Kingdom have become more complicated.

There follows a list of the legislation, conservation bodies (both governmental and otherwise), and conservation designations, which work together to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the UK. A list of 'objects of conservation' provides further links.

Legislation

Some of the key legislation which governs conservation issues in the UK. This list is not exhaustive.

• Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979
• Badgers Act 1991
• Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000
• Environment Act 1995
• Environmental Protection Act 1990
• National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949
• Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• Protection of Badgers Act 1992
• Weeds Act 1959
• Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Conservation bodies

Government departments

• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
• Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD)

Governmental bodies

The following are Executive Agencies of the UK government and regional executives, with note on their areas of responsibility.

United Kingdom

• Forestry Commission — Forestry management
• Joint Nature Conservation Committee — co-ordination of regional bodies

England

• English Heritage — cultural and built heritage.
• Natural England — nature and wildlife conservation, protection of landscapes and rural countryside, and promotes sustainable rural practices (replaced English Nature, Countryside Agency and Rural Development Service in October 2006).
• Environment Agency — waterways, pollution, waste management.

Scotland

• Historic Scotland — cultural and built heritage
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) — waterways, pollution, waste management
• Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) — landscape protection, wildlife conservation

Wales

• Cadw — cultural and built heritage
• Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) — protection of landscapes and rural countryside
• Environment Agency — waterways, pollution, waste management

Northern Ireland

• Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) — conservation of natural and built heritage
• Forest Service Northern Ireland

Non-governmental organisations

• Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland
• British Dragonfly Society
• British Waterfowl Association
• British Waterways
• BTCV
• Cam Valley Wildlife Group
• Civic Trust
• Civic Trust for Wales
• Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland
• Boards of Conservators which have been established for specific areas.
• Council for British Archaeology
• Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE)
• Environment Wales
• Historic Houses Association
• Institute of Conservation
• John Muir Trust
• Marine Conservation Society
• National Gardens Scheme
• National Trust (England, Wales, Northern Ireland)
• National Trust for Scotland
• Norfolk Conservation Corps
• North East Civic Trust
• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
• Scottish Civic Trust
• Scottish Forest Alliance
• Scottish Ornithologists' Club
• Scottish Wildlife Trust
• Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
• Trinity House
• Ulster Wildlife Trust
• The Welsh Wildlife Trusts
• Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT)
• The Wildlife Trusts partnership links to every county Wildlife Trust
• The Woodland Trust

Conservation designations

National Parks

• National Parks

Areas designated by Government Agencies

The following designations are established or monitored by the Executive Agencies listed above.

Designation	Abbreviation	Country	Agency
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty	AONB	England	Countryside Agency
		Wales	CCW
		Northern Ireland	NIEA
Environmentally Sensitive Area	ESA	England	Natural England
Heritage Coast	—	England	Countryside Agency
		Wales	CCW
Marine Nature Reserve	MNR	?	?
National Nature Reserve	NNR	England	Natural England
		Scotland	SNH
		Wales	CCW
		Northern Ireland	NIEA
National Scenic Area	NSA	Scotland	SNH
Nitrate Vulnerable Zone	NVR	England	Environment Agency
Scheduled Ancient Monument	SAM	England	English Heritage
		Scotland	Historic Scotland
		Wales	Cadw
		Northern Ireland	NIEA
Site of Special Scientific Interest	SSSI	England	Natural England
		Scotland	SNH
		Wales	CCW
		Northern Ireland	NIEA
Special Landscape Area	SLA	Wales	CCW

Other United Kingdom conservation designations

• Area of Archaeological Importance (under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979)
• Area of High Archaeological Potential
• Conservation Area
• Country park
• Green Belt (intended to be a planning policy rather than a conservation designation, but often interpreted as the latter)
• Listed building
• Local Nature Reserve
• Regional Park (UK)
• Regionally Important Geological Sites

International conservation designations

• Biosphere Reserves
• Ramsar Sites
• Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
• Special Protection Area (SPA)
  • SACs and SPAs are part of Natura 2000
• World Heritage Sites

Other United Kingdom conservation policies

• Article Four Direction
• United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP)

Objects of conservation

United Kingdom

• Botanical gardens in the United Kingdom
• Chalk figures in the United Kingdom
• Forests in the United Kingdom
• Heritage railway
• List of abbeys and priories
• List of castles
• List of gardens
• List of historic houses
• Long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom
• Piers
• Roman sites in the United Kingdom
• Watermills in the United Kingdom
• Waterways in the United Kingdom
• Windmills in the United Kingdom

England

• Abbeys and priories in England
• Castles in England
• Cycleways in England
• List of English Heritage properties
• Gardens in England
• Historic houses in England
• Lighthouses in England
• National Trust Properties in England
• Treasure Houses of England

Scotland

• Abbeys and priories in Scotland
• Castles in Scotland
• Cycleways in Scotland
• Gardens in Scotland
• Historic houses in Scotland
• Lighthouses in Scotland
• National Trust for Scotland Properties

Wales

• Abbeys and priories in Wales
• Castles in Wales
• Cycleways in Wales
• Gardens in Wales
• Historic houses in Wales
• Lighthouses in Wales
• List of Cadw properties
• List of National Trust properties in Wales

Northern Ireland

• Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland
• Castles in Northern Ireland
• Cycleways in Northern Ireland
• Gardens in Northern Ireland
• Historic houses in Northern Ireland
• Lighthouses in Northern Ireland
• National Trust Properties in Northern Ireland

See also

• Biodiversity Action Plan
• List of Conservation topics