Area shamed over nature protection
WEST YORKSHIRE: The region is ranked among the worst for protecting its Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) with inspectors finding the majority in unsatisfactory condition.
Many of these protected areas are under threat with a West Yorkshire in second place behind Greater Manchester as the worst performing county.
YORKSHIRE’S REGIONS are ranked among the worst for protecting its Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) with official inspections finding the majority in unsatisfactory condition.
New analysis has shown that across the country many of these protected beauty spots are under threat with a league table putting West Yorkshire in second place behind Greater Manchester as the worst performing area. Leading environmental campaigners are concerned the situation could be even worse as many of the sites have not been assessed for years.
Analysis shows 87 per cent of sites in West Yorkshire were rated unfavourable by inspectors. It is closely followed in third place by South Yorkshire with 78 per cent rated unfavourable.
None of Yorkshire’s regions performed well with the East Riding coming in ninth with 68 per cent of its sites in an unsatisfactory state and North Yorkshire, with a 60 per cent fail rate, is ranked 16th.
SSSIs are protected areas for nature conservation and can cover anything from breeding grounds for rare species to peatland. In England, SSSIs are inspected in smaller sections called units with inspection data showing more than half of these units, 53 per cent, were found to be in an unfavourable condition.
Guidelines state SSSI features in England should be assessed at least every six years, but analysis by the data teams from The Yorkshire Post and its publishers JPI Media found more than half of sites, 12,394, have not been assessed since 2011.
A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said while most of England’s SSSIs were either in a favourable condition or were recovering, they recognised that “more needs to be done to improve these vital sites”.
“That’s why we are focusing on restoring those sites that are still in a recovering condition so we can enhance these important areas,” the spokesperson said.
Since 2013 Natural England has adopted a risk-based approach to the frequency of monitoring sites, which varies according to a range of factors such as risk to the site and the stability of its ecology.
The advisory body said it continues to support and encourage its partners and major owners of sites of SSSIs in the work they do on monitoring.
Natural England is also developing its approach to the way SSSIs are monitored, including use of new technologies such as remote sensing and greater partnership involvement. This work will form part of its continued risk-based approach to decide how frequently a site should be monitored and is intended to improve efficiency of SSSI monitoring.
The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan sets a new ambitious target to restore 75 per cent of protected sites by area to favourable condition by 2042, securing their wildlife value for the long term. But Paul de Zylva, of Friends of the Earth, said it was “shocking” that our top wildlife sites are in such poor condition.
“If we can’t even protect the jewels in the crown, it’s little wonder that UK nature is in such poor shape.”
He called on the new Government to make the protection and restoration of our natural environment a “top priority”.
Nikki Williams, the Wildlife Trust’s director of campaigns and policy, called on the Government to take action saying bodies such as Natural England had been starved of funding and should get a “substantial cash injection” to be effective.