Local Wildlife Sites
Find out about our work to identify and designate land as Local Wildlife Sites to protect species and habitats.
What is a Local Wildlife Site?
Local Wildlife Sites (LWS) are some of the most ecologically important sites in the county and they are protected through the local planning system as a non-statutory designation.
They include a range of habitats across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, often representative of biodiverse lowland grasslands on a range of acidic, neutral and calcareous soils.
They also often include rare or threatened species and habitats that are locally important and unique such as:
- flower-rich meadows
- traditional orchards
- ancient woodlands
- diverse fungi-filled churchyards
- urban wetlands supporting important wintering bird populations
- chalk streams
- lowland heathlands
Benefits of Local Wildlife Sites
These sites are essential for the conservation of wildlife in the UK.
They act as wildlife havens, corridors and ‘stepping stones’ for animals, birds and insects that live in urban environments.
There are currently around 500 Local Wildlife Sites within Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes, covering an area of over 7,000 hectares (over 17,000 acres).
Benefits of Local Wildlife Site designation include:
- there are no legal obligations associated with becoming an LWS, as with all non-statutory sites
- recognition that your site is noteworthy for biodiversity interest
- access to good quality conservation management advice
- your site will form part of a network of sites helping to protect wildlife and make it more resilient to climate change and human intervention
- accessing expert advice regarding species and habitat management and up-to-date ecological data
- the possibility of having an advantage when applying for funding to improve your site
- recognition in the planning process so that any planning application process may be quicker and easier because the planning team are already aware of the wildlife value of your site
- unchanged rights regarding access
How Local Wildlife Sites are identified and approved
Our ecological surveyors at BMERC, supported by expert volunteers, identify and survey potential sites and produce survey reports. The reports are then presented to our Local Wildlife Sites Selection Panel and if approved, the land is designated as a Local Wildlife Site. The Selection Panel is made up of:
- Local Botanical and Wildlife Experts
- County Wildlife Recorders
- BMERC Ecological Surveyors
- representatives from environmental organisations and statutory bodies
Landowners will receive a copy of the survey report, species list and management recommendations.
Interested in finding out more?
Landowners or Land managers – If you are a local landowner or manager and would like us to survey your land for biodiversity interest, please send us a message at: erc@buckinghamshire.gov.uk.
Volunteering - We sometimes have opportunities for volunteers, particularly for local expert botanists to join us on our ecological surveys. If you're interested in helping, please send us a message at: erc@buckinghamshire.gov.uk.