Local nature reserves: setting up and management
How local authorities can select a site, and then declare and manage it as a local nature reserve.
Applies to England
Nature reserves are managed areas of land that protect wildlife, habitats and natural features. They support scientific research and can provide educational and recreational opportunities. Appropriate management of nature reserves makes sure that recreation activities can take place in a way that does not harm the environment.
Nature reserves declared by local authorities are called local nature reserves. They’re designated as protected areas of land due to their special natural interest, educational and community value. Town and parish councils can create local nature reserves if the district council has given them the power to do so. The local authority must control the local nature reserve land either:
- by owning it
- by leasing it
- through an agreement with the owner
Access to your local nature reserve
As a local authority managing a local nature reserve, you must care for and protect its natural features.
Local nature reserves should be open to the public, if public access will not cause damage or disturb wildlife. You can restrict access to some areas if visitors could cause damage, unless the public have statutory access rights.
Choosing a site
You should choose a site that is locally important for:
- wildlife
- geology
- education
- enjoyment (as long as it does not harm wildlife and supports other good reasons like learning or nature conservation)
Types of land
Many types of land can make suitable local nature reserves. They’re usually areas of natural green space, but the following types of land can also be local nature reserves if they have wildlife or geological interest:
- brownfield and artificial sites, such as historic cemeteries
- agricultural land and orchards
- commons and other accessible green spaces
How to declare a local nature reserve
Natural England is a statutory consultee under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. This means that as a local authority you must consult Natural England when using your powers for declaring a local nature reserve.
Here are the steps a local authority must follow to declare a local nature reserve.
1. Pre-declaration consultation
Email Natural England to say that you want to declare a local nature reserve. In the email, include a management plan detailing:
- ownership of the land
- any nature reserve agreements, leases or partnerships
- why the local nature reserve site was chosen
- aims and objectives
- biodiversity management and environmental education
- community participation, access and visitor management
- costs and funding arrangements
Include a boundary site map with your email. This map must show the boundary of the local nature reserve aligned with or within the local authority’s legal ownership as recorded by HM Land Registry. This should include a geographic information systems (GIS) shapefile. Send your email to Natural England: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk.
Natural England will respond within 10 working days. We may request a site visit and other information if needed.
2. Declaration
Following consultation with Natural England, you should decide whether to declare a local nature reserve considering Natural England’s response and the relevant legislation. You can use this which must be completed following your own processes for applying seals and authorised signatures or both.
3. After declaration
Once you’ve declared the local nature reserve, send Natural England a:
- certified copy of the final declaration document
- final copy of the boundary site map (including a GIS shapefile)
- final copy of the management plan
- copy of the public notice
- completed local nature reserve factsheet (provided by Natural England after consultation)
Once Natural England has received everything in that list, your local nature reserve will be added to the Designated Sites View website which provides public information about local nature reserves.
4. Announce your local nature reserve
Once declared, put an advert announcing the local nature reserve in a local newspaper. You can use this . Let the public inspect the declaration and boundary site map free of charge. You can hold an official opening ceremony once you have formally declared your local nature reserve.
Managing your local nature reserve
You can run local nature reserves independently or you can involve:
- ‘friends of’ community groups
- wildlife trusts and other recognised conservation bodies
- site-based rangers
- local school children
- Natural England (who can give advice)
Byelaws
Local authorities and town and parish councils can create local nature reserve byelaws.
Byelaws can help you stop people damaging your local nature reserve, for example, preventing visitors walking into areas where they could harm wildlife. Before you create byelaws, you should have tried other ways to keep your local nature reserve safe and its wildlife protected. You can fine people if they break your byelaws.
Byelaws can only be enforced within the local nature reserve. They must not replicate existing laws. You must have validly declared the land as a local nature reserve to Natural England before creating byelaws.
How to create byelaws
Here are the steps you must follow to create byelaws.
- Use this , making sure that they are tailored to your site. Ask Natural England to review your draft byelaws. Get in touch with your local Natural England contact or email lnrdeclarations@naturalengland.org.uk. Natural England will respond within 10 working days.
- Send your draft byelaws, with Natural England’s feedback, to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, at protected.areas@defra.gsi.gov.uk. Include a colour map of your site and a cover letter explaining why you need byelaws. For example, describe other ways you’ve tried to prevent damage to your site.
- Advertise your byelaws in local newspapers using this for at least a month before applying for confirmation. If any member of the public raises concerns, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will send them to you to consider.
- Fix the common seal to the byelaws. If you have not got a common seal, 2 named councillors must authorise the sealing of the byelaws.
- Authorise the named officer, for example clerk to the parish, to apply to the Secretary of State for confirmation.
- Receive confirmation from the Secretary of State.
- Keep 2 identical signed and sealed originals of the byelaws confirmed by the Secretary of State. Only minor changes are allowed after confirmation and they should be initialled by whoever sealed it.
Help with byelaws
Email your draft byelaws or questions to protected.areas@defra.gsi.gov.uk or write to:
Local Nature Reserve Byelaws Case Officer
Horizon House (2nd Floor)
Deanery Road
Bristol
BS1 5AH
Control dogs on your local nature reserve
Councils can also put a public space protection order (PSPO) in place to:
- limit how many dogs can be walked by an owner at one time
- require dogs to be on a lead in a specific public area
- require owners to pick up their dog’s litter
- prevent dogs from being in a certain place, for example a children’s play area in a park
A PSPO lasts up to 3 years and can be renewed.
Amending a local nature reserve boundary
Extensions or boundary changes of an existing local nature reserve follow the same procedure as declarations. If the site has existing byelaws, they must also be amended to reflect the boundary changes.
The local authority that declared the local nature reserve is responsible for making decisions about changes to the boundary of the local nature reserve. The local authority must consult Natural England about amending boundaries.
The process for amending a local nature reserve boundary may require a combination of declaration (where land is taken into the local nature reserve) and revoking the declaration (where land is removed from the local nature reserve).
The local authority may combine these as a single, co-ordinated exercise, and consult with Natural England on both processes as part of the overall proposed boundary change.
How to amend a local nature reserve boundary
Here are the steps you must follow to amend a boundary:
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Prepare a formal (legal) document stating that you intend to amend the declaration document. This can be one side of A4 paper, accompanied by a map of the local nature reserve. The map should be to scale and accurately show the new and existing local nature reserve boundaries aligned with or within the local authority’s legal ownership as recorded by HM Land Registry.
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Send these documents to your local Natural England contact or email lnrdeclarations@naturalengland.org.uk. Natural England will respond within 10 working days.
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The relevant local authority committees should agree the boundary changes and the formal document should be signed according to the local authority’s approved procedures for authorised signatures.
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Send the formal document, along with a map showing the new local nature reserve boundaries, to your local Natural England contact or email lnrdeclarations@naturalengland.org.uk.
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Natural England updates the national record of local nature reserves as necessary.
Revoking a local nature reserve
A local nature reserve declaration should only be revoked where it is no longer possible or practicable for the land to be managed for the statutory purposes of a local nature reserve. Revoking a declaration should be a last resort.
Only the local authority that made the original declaration can revoke it.
Where an LNR is declared as a National Nature Reserve, the local authority should revoke the local nature declaration.
Explore alternative options
Natural England encourages local authorities to avoid the loss of local nature reserves, or part of a local nature reserve, wherever possible.
Before revoking a declaration, you should explore alternative options which would allow the site, or part of it, to continue being managed as a local nature reserve. This could involve consulting with landowners, partners, local communities, and other stakeholders early in the decision-making process.
If a proposed development could impact on a local nature reserve, local authorities should consider alternative locations or options for the development, wherever practicable.
How to revoke a local nature reserve declaration
Here are the steps a local authority must follow to revoke a declaration:
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Write formally to your local Natural England contact or email lnrdeclarations@naturalengland.org.uk to state that you intend to revoke the declaration. You need to provide detail on your actions in line with this guidance. Natural England will respond within 10 working days.
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You then draw up a formal document revoking the declaration. This can be one side of A4 paper, accompanied by a map of the local nature reserve. The map should be to scale and accurately show the local nature reserve boundary aligned with or within the local authority’s legal ownership as recorded by HM Land Registry.
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The relevant local authority committees agree the revoking of the declaration.
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Place a public notice in a local newspaper announcing that the declaration is being revoked. Make copies of the public notice and a map available for the public to inspect free of charge. Place a copy at the entrances to the local nature reserve.
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Send a copy of the formal document revoking the declaration, together with the local nature reserve map, to your local Natural England contact or email lnrdeclarations@naturalengland.org.uk.
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Natural England updates the national record of local nature reserves.
Contact us
For general enquires about local nature reserves not answered on this page, contact us by:
Email: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 060 3900
Local authorities with an enquiry about a declared local nature reserve (including boundary amendments and discrepancies) can contact us by:
Email: lnrdeclarations@naturalengland.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 060 3900