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Marine Protected Areas: conservation advice packages

Use site advice packages and supporting documents to help with site assessments and the impact of marine activity in sensitive areas.

Updates to this page

From:
Natural England
Published:
30 March 2015
Last updated:
19 March 2026
Show all updates

  1. Six-monthly update: Wyre-Lune MCZ and Ribble Estuary MCZ in the Irish Sea moved from draft to formal status.

  2. Six-monthly update: added a new site with draft status - Ribble Estuary MCZ in the Irish Sea area. Berwick to St Mary's MCZ in the Northern North Sea area and Kentish Knock East MCZ in the Southern North Sea have moved from draft to formal status.

  3. Six-monthly update: added a new site with draft status - Berwick to St Mary's MCZ in the Northern North Sea area. Inner Bank MCZ and Yarmouth to Cowes MCZ have moved from draft to formal status in the Eastern Channel area.

  4. Regular update: 2 new sites added to the collection with draft status; Wyre-Lune MCZ in the Irish Sea and Orford Inshore MCZ in the Southern North Sea.

  5. Six-monthly update: added 2 new sites with draft status - Inner Bank MCZ and Yarmouth to Cowes MCZ. Cape Bank MCZ and Erme Estuary MCZ have moved from draft to formal status.

  6. Six-monthly update: 7 sites moved from draft to formal status and 6 new sites added to the collection.

  7. Six-monthly update: 6 sites moved from draft to formal status and 9 new sites added to the collection.

  8. 5 new sites added to the collection, 9 sites moved from draft to formal status.

  9. 9 new sites added to the collection. 6 sites moved from draft to formal status.

  10. Two new sites added to the collection. 27 sites moved from draft to formal status. PDF marine area maps removed and replaced with links to ArcGIS interactive map. See each marine area page for details.

  11. New sites added to the collection, all maps updated and some sites moved from draft to formal stage. See each marine area page for details.

  12. Irish Sea: 1 site changed from draft to formal, 1 designation changed, map updated - Western Channel: 2 designations changed, map updated - Eastern Channel: 2 sites changed from draft to formal, 2 designations changed, 3 new draft sites added, map updated - Southern North Sea: 2 sites changed from draft to formal, 3 designations changed, 4 new draft sites added, map updated - Northern North Sea: 4 new draft sites added, map updated.

  13. Supporting information about partner bodies added.

  14. Advice packages rearranged by marine area. Index maps added.

  15. Added 4 new sites and documents to reflect the transfer of information to Natural England's Designated Sites System.

  16. 4 new packages added: * Thanet Coast MCZ * Thames Estuary and Marshes SPA * Benfleet and Southend Marshes SPA * Margate and Long Sands SCI

  17. 13 new packages added.

  18. Five draft packages added.

  19. First published.

Advice packages are listed by marine area. Use the interactive map attached to each marine area page to explore the designated sites and the status of their advice packages. From here, select a site to navigate directly to the marine advice package you are interested in.

The packages include:

  • site information
  • supplementary advice on designated features
  • advice on operations

Some packages are still in draft and being consulted on and may be subject to change.

Draft advice reflects the most up-to-date evidence held by Natural England and, where relevant, other statutory nature conservation bodies. It’s not formal statutory advice. Use it to help make decisions on marine activity, management and casework.

Formal packages are Natural England’s statutory advice replacing any previous advice.

All sites can be searched for on the Designated Sites View site search, which will include links to any existing advice.

Irish Sea

Western Channel and Celtic Sea

Eastern Channel

Southern North Sea

Northern North Sea

Supporting information

Natural England provides conservation advice for MPAs up to 12 nautical miles from the coast. Where a site crosses a border, Natural England works with the relevant partner to produce the advice.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) provides advice for sites in Welsh territorial waters.

NatureScot provides advice for sites in Scottish territorial waters.

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) provides Offshore MPA conservation advice.

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