Suffolk’s County Wildlife Sites

What are County Wildlife Sites (CWS)?

County Wildlife Sites are areas of county or regional importance for wildlife. The designation is non-statutory, but is a recognition of a site’s high value for biodiversity.

CWS have been identified throughout Suffolk and range from small meadows, green lanes, dykes and hedges through to much larger areas of ancient woodlands, heathland, greens, commons and marsh.

Why are County Wildlife Sites Important?

• Outside of statutorily protected areas (such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Local and National Nature Reserves), CWS are the most important areas for wildlife in Suffolk
• CWS support locally and nationally threatened wildlife species and habitats
• Many sites support habitats and species that are priorities for conservation under the UK and Local Biodiversity Action Plans

CWS complement statutorily protected areas and nature reserves by helping to maintain habitat links between these sites. The importance of ecological networks for conservation is now widely recognised, better enabling wildlife to survive on reserves and in the wider the countryside. Linked habitats are also likely to be important in allowing wildlife to adapt to the effects of climate change.

Suffolk County Wildlife Site System – how does it work?

Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Suffolk County Council, Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service and Natural England manage the Suffolk County Wildlife Site system in partnership. This involves:

• Maintaining an up-to-date database of CWS in Suffolk and sharing it with partners, local authorities and other conservation organisations.
• Designating new CWS and modifying information held on existing sites when changes occur. The CWS panel meets to review sites which are notified in accordance with selection criteria.
• Supplying information on the wildlife of CWS to landowners and others whose work may affect CWS.

The importance of CWSs is recognised by local authorities in Suffolk and they have all developed policies that give CWSs some protection in line with national planning policy. If a CWS is likely to be affected by a development the views of the CWS partners are normally sought as part of the consultation process.

Environmental Impact Assessments are required by Natural England when areas of uncultivated land are to undergo agricultural change, such as increases in stock density, cultivation, soil spreading and new drainage work.

CWS designation does not confer any new rights of access to the general public or conservation organisations.

Working with Landowners and Managers of CWS

The high wildlife value of CWS is due to land management practices that allowed wildlife to thrive, such as rotational coppicing of woodland, hay cutting or grazing of grasslands. Ensuring appropriate management continues is vital to maintaining the wildlife value of a site. Therefore good working relationships with landowners and managers is essential.

We appreciate the difficulties that conservation management of CWS can present and are therefore happy to offer advice on management and potential sources of funding.

Free Advice to CWS owners and managers includes

• Information on the wildlife and nature conservation interest of the site.
• Advice and site visits to establish the best management to maintain and enhance wildlife value. Suffolk Wildlife Trust is always happy to offer site visits.
• Advice on suitable contractors, contacts for graziers and help and advice on applying for grant funding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are landowner details & permission required for submission of survey data for assessment?

The Suffolk CWS Panel cannot make use of or assess survey data collected without landowner’s permission or is not recognised as being in the public domain. In line with the Data Protection Act, landowner details will not be divulged. Please note that an area of land open to the public does not imply permission to survey.

Why can’t survey data be emailed?

The site survey form is currently only available in pdf format as it needs to be printed off to be signed. See the SBIS website for further details. However photos related to a survey form can be uploaded to flickr and added to the SBIS - Suffolk Wildlife Photos group

How do I use the Suffolk CWS criteria?

The Suffolk CWS Panel need to know as much as possible about a site to assess it against the Suffolk CWS criteria e.g. inclusion on information relating to neighbouring habitats, presence of BAP habitats and species on the site. The CWS Panel will make the decision as to whether a site meets the CWS criteria.

Where can I find out about protected and BAP habitats/species?

For more information about Suffolk’s habitats and species see our Suffolk’s Wildlife page 

What do I need to include in the species summary?

Relative abundance of species actually using the site is very important e.g. evidence of breeding or over-wintering/hibernating. Incidental records are of limited value to the Suffolk CWS assessment procedure.

What information should I include on the sketch map?

An accurate site boundary, north orientation, a 6 figure grid reference, different habitat units and surrounding habitats are all essential information. If you wish to request a map, on which to draw a more accurate boundary please contact us.

When will I know the Suffolk CWS Panel’s decision?

There is no set timetable for CWS designation as it depends on several factors. Further survey information may be required or the CWS Panel may need to make a site visit which may mean waiting for the optimal survey season.

Panel Remit

The Suffolk County Wildlife Site (CWS) Panel comprises representatives from Natural England, Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service, Suffolk County Council and Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

The duties of the Panel are to:

1. Maintain an up to date CWS Register for Suffolk and ensure that the information is distributed according to the CWS procedure below.
2. Designate CWSs according to the CWS selection criteria, review existing sites in the light of new survey data and remove any that do not meet the criteria.
3. Review and update the CWS selection criteria to reflect changes in wildlife legislation and policy.

The CWS Panel is impartial and therefore cannot comment on wider issues relating to CWS, such as planning applications and schemes of management (e.g. Forestry Commission and agri-environment applications). Its remit is purely restricted to the three duties outlined above.

Designation procedure

For a site to become a County Wildlife Site (CWS) it must be assessed by the CWS panel and meet the CWS criteria The procedure is set out below.

Review Procedure

Occasionally, it is necessary to review whether all or part of a CWS still meets CWS criteria. The review procedure is set out below

 

Selection Criteria

Procedure for Site Selection

A CWS panel carries out the selection of County Wildlife Sites in Suffolk. The panel evaluates the proposed CWS against agreed selection criteria to ensure that the site meets the threshold for selection. The panel meets twice a year to assess potential CWS and amendments to existing sites as appropriate.

• Site selection criteria have been drawn up in accordance with recommendations in the Wildlife Sites Handbook.
• Sites are assessed against the primary and secondary habitat criteria set out in section 3 and then specific habitat criteria set out in section 4.
• Occasionally it may be appropriate to designate a CWS for the presence of particular species in their own right.

1. Habitat Criteria

The habitat criteria are based on Radcliffe’s habitat attributes that evaluate sites on the basis of their biological interest being of substantive nature conservation value. These criteria may favour or count against a site’s selection as a CWS.

Meeting just one of the Habitat Primary Criteria can be sufficient to warrant designation as a CWS

Primary criteria

• Size: The importance and value of a site usually increases with size. Larger sites are more able to resist change and therefore remain as a viable unit. While a site’s size may affect its sustainability this does not preclude the selection of small sites of high quality
• Diversity: Sites that have a variety of habitats are often of high wildlife value, particularly where they include a range of successional stages and/or ecological gradients. Individually, none of the habitats may meet the selection criteria for CWS status, but their combined value may be high enough for selection
• Naturalness: It is generally considered that the more natural a site is, the higher its value. However, in Suffolk, as with most of the UK, very few sites with the exception of dynamic coastal habitats are truly natural and the most important habitats are either semi-natural e.g. hay meadows and ancient woods, or even man-made e.g. urban sites. In many cases, this attribute, therefore, relates to a site’s state under traditional management
• Rarity: All habitats that are nationally/internationally rare should be considered. Suffolk is a stronghold for some habitats e.g. vegetated shingle, and these habitats may be locally frequent, but their wider importance should not be overlooked. Other habitats may be rare in Suffolk e.g. chalk grassland and should be considered in the context of their local significance
• Fragility: Some sites may be very susceptible to damage by interference e.g. urban sites where the development of surrounding land may isolate or encroach on the site. Other sites may be fragile due to rapid succession e.g. waste ground that rapidly scrubs up. The first is really an assessment of threat and would not be used as a sole selection criterion. The second suggests that the value of a site may be short-lived. While both factors may affect the selection, sites should be generally be designated according to their current wildlife value
• Typicalness: some habitats are intrinsically species-poor but are locally distinctive e.g. windblown coastal scrub, nutrient rich flushes associated with red crag and dry grassland associated with sands and gravels. These habitats are characteristic of the county’s natural areas and are therefore included in the CWS system

Secondary criteria

These criteria are only be considered once the primary criteria have been applied. They can provide additional information on the value of sites but will not be used for selection in their own right.

• Recorded history: The value of a site can be more accurately assessed if there has been a history of biological recording and evidence of site continuity
• Position in ecological unit: Sites that are linked to or near other wildlife areas are generally more valuable and can play an important role in creating wildlife corridors and buffers
• Potential wildlife value: the use of potential value as a criterion for site selection can cause problems, as it can be argued that with appropriate management any site potentially has high wildlife value. However, in some cases it may be useful, especially where there is an opportunity to enhance existing semi-natural habitats
• Intrinsic appeal: Some sites may have high-perceived intrinsic appeal and /or recreational value. In addition sites may have a high education value. While the importance of these values should not be underestimated they should always be considered as supplementary to the sites nature conservation value