Nature Conservation

(asked on 13th January 2026) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of (1) national nature reserves, (2) marine conservation zones, (3) special protection areas, and (4) Ramsar sites, are in a favourable condition in each county in England.


Answered by
Baroness Hayman of Ullock Portrait
Baroness Hayman of Ullock
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 22nd January 2026

Data on National Nature Reserves, terrestrial Special Protection Areas (SPAs), and Ramsar sites is included in the spreadsheet attached. Due to terrestrial SPAs being considered at low-tide there is an overlap between these reported figures and the SPAs with marine components.

Data on SPAs with marine components and on Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) is collected at feature level rather than by county, as the majority of sites are at sea and therefore often fall outside county jurisdiction. Within English waters, there are 89 MCZs (excluding HPMAs) covering 625 features, and 49 marine SPAs covering 208 features. The latest data from Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee indicates that 64.8% of English MCZs features and 19.7% of English marine SPA features are considered to be in favourable condition.

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