Member News
By Francois Gill - 7th July 2009
Natural England's assessment of its performance is based on flawed data, a Commons committee has found.
The conservation body expects to meet its target for 95 per cent of sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) to be in 'favourable' or 'recovering' conditions by the end of next year.
But the public accounts committee identified concerns that some SSSIs may not reach a 'favourable' condition for years.
And Natural England's reported performance has been marred by "out of date information and incomplete records", the report said.
The committee estimated that around a quarter of sites have not been assessed within the six-year timescale set out in national guidelines, and some SSSIs lacked written instructions for monitoring the special features they were intended to conserve.
Public expenditure on SSSIs has more than doubled over the past eight years from £35.6m in 2000/01 to £ 85.4m in 2008/09, with an estimated ongoing commitment of £96m a year.
But "these estimates may be inaccurate as around a third of sites do not have complete descriptions of the works needed to bring them into good condition", the report said.
The committee proposed that Natural England introduce regular inspections, mandatory records of field visits and compliance checks to ensure SSSIs are managed and funded with greater efficiency.
And some sites may no longer be worthy of SSSI status where eco-systems had changed over the years, the report added.
Natural England was urged to review the status of existing sites and consider designating new ones.
The committee also expressed concern that Natural England's approach to conservation could be "obstructive", with low public awareness of SSSI sites.
Committee chairman Edward Leigh said: "All those who love England's wildlife and natural habitats will welcome the news that the reported condition of England's sites of special scientific interest has improved markedly.
"But the news is not as good as it sounds. The department and Natural England must do more to manage and monitor the progress of recovering sites."
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