When you need consent for a proposed operation or management change on land in a SSSI and how to apply.
Applies to England
For land you own or occupy, Natural England can select all or part of it for protection. Natural England will do this when it believes the site has features of special interest, such as its:
Natural England will ‘notify’ (or designate) the land as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI). The section New SSSI notifications tells you more about the designation process and your rights.
This guide tells you what rules you must follow when you manage land you own or occupy within a SSSI.
If you do not own or occupy the land and you plan an activity such as an event or survey, you must work with the owner or occupier.
There’s separate SSSI guidance for public bodies.
Achieving favourable condition
Natural England’s objective is to achieve ‘favourable condition’ status for all SSSIs. Favourable condition means that the SSSI’s habitats and features are in a healthy state and are being conserved by appropriate management.
Natural England will assess whether proposals to carry out operations within a SSSI have a positive or negative effect on the condition of a site.
See SSSI condition and assessment for details of how Natural England classifies the condition of SSSIs.
Check if your land is within a SSSI
All SSSIs in England are registered on the Land Charges register. If you’re buying land, your conveyancing search will check if it’s notified as a SSSI. You can also use the Magic map system to check if your land or land you’re buying is within a SSSI.
Click on the ‘+’ symbol below the on-screen compass to zoom in on the detail.
Drag the map to your location using your mouse or mouse pad.
Click on the ‘i’ identify tool in the toolbar at the top of the screen.
Using the crosshair, click on the map to find out the name of the SSSI.
Change of ownership
You must tell Natural England within 28 days about changes to the ownership or occupation of SSSI land, including if:
- you sell your land
- you lease it to another person
- someone else gets the right to use the land (known as ‘an easement’)
Manage SSSI land effectively
You must manage land within a SSSI effectively and appropriately to conserve the special features of the site, such as:
- grazing animals at particular times of the year
- managing woodland
- controlling water levels
- managing scrub on species-rich grassland
You must check if you need consent before you start work to:
- carry out management tasks
- change an existing management regime
Check if you need consent
There are certain things you cannot do on SSSI land without consulting Natural England and getting consent first. For example, you might want to change the way you manage woodland or change a grazing regime.
Each SSSI has a list of activities, known as ‘operations’, which need Natural England’s consent.
Find out about your land within a SSSI
Use the designated sites system (DSS) to search for a SSSI to:
- get the list of ‘operations requiring Natural England’s consent’ (the ORNEC list) - you can download a list for each SSSI
- get a map of the site’s boundary
- find out why the site was designated
- get Natural England’s ‘views about management’ report for its steer on how to manage land effectively
- find out the condition of the site
You must get written consent from Natural England if you intend to carry out a listed operation within the boundary of the SSSI. Read the section Get consent to carry out operations on your land for guidance on how to do this.
If you do not have Natural England’s permission, you could:
- get an unlimited fine if you - or you allow someone else to - carry out a listed operation
- have to pay to repair any damage to the site
When operations do not need consent
You do not need consent for:
- emergency work, for example to protect livestock during a flood (you must tell Natural England as soon as possible afterwards)
- operations with permission from a public body or local authority (they must have consulted Natural England before they granted permission)
- a