Last edited 22 Jun 2021

National nature reserve NNR

Contents

[edit] Introduction

National Nature Reserves (NNR) are areas of high-quality wildlife and geology of national importance. They are legally protected areas afforded the highest conservation protection possible under UK legislation.

There are 224 National Nature Reserves in England covering 94,000 ha. The majority of National Nature Reserves are also protected by other nature conservation designations, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

[edit] Designation

National Nature Reserves are designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. This act states that the sites are for, ‘…preserving flora, fauna or geological or physiographical features of special interest in the area and/or for providing opportunities for the study of, and research into, those features’.

The Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 also specified that National Nature Reserves should provide opportunities for public enjoyment and/or open-air recreation.

National Nature Reserves are designated by:

[edit] Management

All National Nature Reserves have a management plan which provides a summary of the reserve and details the aims and objectives of the management of the site.

Natural England are responsible for the management of 143 of the sites and the remaining reserves are managed by Approved Bodies.

The Natural England White Paper 2011 (NEWP) and Biodiversity 2020 (A strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services) detail the policy context for management of reserves. They suggest that the management of National Nature Reserves needs to be improved, co-ordinated at the landscape level, and that public connections needed to be enhanced.

The Natural England Management Standard sets out the key principles of reserve management:

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki.

[edit] External references

Designing Buildings Anywhere

Get the Firefox add-on to access 20,000 definitions direct from any website

Find out more Accept cookies and
don't show me this again