D2: Extent and condition of protected sites – land, water and sea
Short Description
Protected sites are areas of land, inland water and the sea that have special legal protection to conserve important habitats and species in England. These include our Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs), National Nature Reserves (NNRs), Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Ramsar sites. These area designations have been included as they focus on the protection of biodiversity and provide legal mechanisms for this protection. This indicator currently has 2 components: (a) extent of protected sites on land, freshwater and at sea and (b) condition of terrestrial SSSIs on land and water. Condition for terrestrial sites is assessed against relevant common standards agreed by the UK conservation agencies. Condition methodology for marine sites is currently under development.
Readiness and links to data
An interim indicator is presented here that shows the extent of protected areas (D2a) and condition of SSSIs in England (D2b). Data for this interim indicator are published annually as England Biodiversity Indicator – Extent and condition of protected areas. Work is underway to review reporting for terrestrial and freshwater sites. Further work is required to implement a methodology for assessing the condition of marine sites.
The latest release of England Biodiversity Indicator - Extent and condition of protected areas includes the breakdown for condition of SSSIs by area, and for the first time in 2024, the condition by feature. This new approach will allow Natural England to record variation in a feature’s condition across SSSIs, and better inform management through unit-specific comments to aid with conservation. As of 31 March 2024, 25% of all SSSI features were up-to-date with a condition assessment. Feature condition data is cumulative and not every feature is assessed every year.
Indicator components
Figure D2a: Extent of protected sites in England, 2005 to 2024
Table D2a: Extent of protected sites in England, 2005 to 2024
| Year | Extent at sea | Extent on land |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 298,919.50 | 988,754.50 |
| 2006 | 298,966.80 | 990,324.20 |
| 2007 | 299,036.80 | 993,031.20 |
| 2008 | 328,511.60 | 994,135.50 |
| 2009 | 328,511.20 | 994,400.40 |
| 2010 | 328,505.40 | 994,207.80 |
| 2011 | 328,505.30 | 998,035.30 |
| 2012 | 328,505.40 | 998,405.90 |
| 2013 | 328,504.70 | 998,825.50 |
| 2014 | 783,967.00 | 1,000,894.30 |
| 2015 | 1,103,354.00 | 1,002,530.00 |
| 2016 | 1,343,627.80 | 1,004,719.50 |
| 2017 | 1,343,627.80 | 1,004,719.50 |
| 2018 | 1,685,217.00 | 1,015,777.60 |
| 2019 | 1,690,235.70 | 1,017,242.40 |
| 2020 | 2,343,422.40 | 1,018,303.60 |
| 2021 | 2,447,633.00 | 1,023,023.10 |
| 2022 | 2,447,633.00 | 1,024,397.20 |
| 2023 | 2,447,635.70 | 1,030,886.60 |
| 2024 | 2,447,635.90 | 1,031,574.70 |
Trend description for D2a
The total extent of land, water and sea protected in England through national and international protected areas has increased from 1.29 million hectares in 2005 to 3.48 million hectares in 2024. The area of sites at sea has increased substantially, by more than 8 times since the time series began in 2005, although the majority of this increase took place between 2013 and 2020. The area of sites on land has remained relatively stable over time, increasing by 4% between 2005 and 2024.
Assessment of change
On land, there has been little or no change for the extent of protected sites in the most recent 5 years for which trends can be assessed (2019 to 2024), however an increase (or improvement) has been observed in both the medium and long-term time period. The extent of protected areas at sea has seen an improvement across the short, medium- and long-term.
Change since 2018 is covered by the short-term trend within the assessment. This shows that the extent of protected sites at sea increased by 45% since 2018, while the extent of protected sites at land showed little or no change at 1.49% increase.
Further information on this assessment, along with details on the methodology, is provided in the Assessment background page. Summaries by 25 Year Environment Plan goal and information on indicator links are presented in the Assessment results pages.
Table D2a: Assessment of change
| Component | Subcomponent | Period | Date range | Percentage change | Smoothing function | Assessment of change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D2a | Extent at sea | Short term | 2019 to 2024 | 44.81 | Unsmoothed | Improvement |
| D2a | Extent at sea | Medium term | 2014 to 2024 | 212.21 | Unsmoothed | Improvement |
| D2a | Extent at sea | Long term | 2005 to 2024 | 718.83 | Unsmoothed | Improvement |
| D2a | Extent on land | Short term | 2019 to 2024 | 1.41 | Unsmoothed | Little or no change |
| D2a | Extent on land | Medium term | 2014 to 2024 | 3.07 | Unsmoothed | Improvement |
| D2a | Extent on land | Long term | 2005 to 2024 | 4.33 | Unsmoothed | Improvement |
Note that percentage change in Table D2a refers to the difference seen between the first and last years in the specified date range. Assessment results presented here differ from those presented in the source publication (the England Biodiversity Indicators) because we use unsmoothed data and assess sites in favourable condition, whereas the England Biodiversity Indicators use a 3-year average for the baseline (effectively smoothing the data) and assess sites in favourable and unfavourable recovering condition.
Figure D2b: Condition of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in England, 2016 to 2024
Table D2b: Condition of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in England, 2016 to 2024
| Year | Favourable condition | Unfavourable recovering condition |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 38.50 | 57.27 |
| 2017 | 38.67 | 56.03 |
| 2018 | 38.71 | 55.50 |
| 2019 | 38.89 | 54.64 |
| 2020 | 38.74 | 54.07 |
| 2021 | 38.28 | 52.87 |
| 2022 | 38.23 | 50.80 |
| 2023 | 36.85 | 49.13 |
| 2024 | 35.47 | 48.81 |
Trend description for D2b
There has been a slight decrease in the area of SSSIs in favourable condition since 2016 (38.5%), and in 2024 35.5% of SSSI area were in favourable condition. The area in unfavourable recovering condition has decreased from 57.3% in 2016, to around 48.8% in 2024.
Assessment of change
There has been a decrease (or deterioration) in the percentage of SSSIs in England achieving favourable condition over the short-term assessment periods. There are not currently sufficient data points for a medium- or long-term assessment.
Change since 2018 is has also been assessed. This shows there has been decrease in the percentage of SSSIs in England achieving favourable condition since 2018.
Further information on this assessment, along with details on the methodology, is provided in the Assessment background page. Summaries by 25 Year Environment Plan goal and information on indicator links are presented in the Assessment results pages.
Table D2b: Assessment of change
| Component | Subcomponent | Period | Date range | Percentage change | Smoothing function | Assessment of change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D2b | Favourable condition | Short term | 2019 to 2024 | -8.79 | Unsmoothed | Deterioration |
| D2b | Favourable condition | Medium term | N/A | N/A | N/A | Not assessed |
| D2b | Favourable condition | Long term | N/A | N/A | N/A | Not assessed |
Assessment results presented here differ from those presented in the source publication (the England Biodiversity Indicators) because the Outcome Indicator Framework methodology uses unsmoothed data and assesses sites in favourable condition, whereas the England Biodiversity Indicators methodology uses a 3-year average for the baseline (effectively smoothing the data) and assesses sites in favourable and unfavourable recovering condition