PROTECTING OUR
SOUTH
COAST
CHICHESTER HARBOUR
‘AONB’ (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) is designated by Government under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 as an area for conservation due to its significant landscape value.
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RAMSAR provides for national action and international cooperation regarding the conservation of wetlands and is of importance especially as a Waterfowl Habitat. It is an international treaty for wetland conservation called the Ramsar Convention named after the city in Iran where the convention was signed in 1971.
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‘SPA’ (Special Protection Area) are there to protect rare birds, and protected birds, from visitor disturbance within or around the SPA that might lead to the conclusion that there would be significant harm.
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‘SAC’ (Special Areas of Conservation) are there to protect rare habitats and plant species and the diversity of the site. Usually requiring a Scoping Exercise to identify the potential harm from air pollution etc.
If there is need for further assessment then there is the ‘environmental impact assessment’. This identifies the real problems of what can be done to avoid harm because if you are unable to avoid then you cannot build.
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‘SSSI’ (Site of Special Scientific Interest) are designated due to their fauna, flora, geological or physiographical features. It comes under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981
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‘SINC’ (Site of Importance for Nature Conservation) are areas that form a vital component of the biodiversity alongside statutory designated sites such as SSSIs.
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‘SNCI’ (Site of Nature Conservation Interest) is a local wildlife site which contributes to the ecological network. They contain features of substantive nature conservation value at a local level. They are designated through a Local Sites Partnership (LSP)
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‘LNR’ (Local Nature Reserves) are a statutory designation made under Section 21 of the National Parks ad Access to the Countryside Act 1949 by principal local authorities.
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PAGHAM HARBOUR
‘MCZ’ (Marine Conservation Zone) Pagham Harbour was designated as a site in 2013.
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‘SPA’ ( Special Protection Area) are there to protect rare birds, and protected birds, from visitor disturbance within or around the SPA that might lead to the conclusion that there would be significant harm.
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RAMSAR – The Convention on Wetlands. It provides for national action and international cooperation regarding the conservation of wetlands and is of importance especially as a Waterfowl Habitat. It is an international treaty for wetland conservation called the Ramsar Convention named after the city in Iran where the convention was signed in 1971.
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‘SSSI’ (Site of Special Scientific Interest) are designated due to their fauna, flora, geological or physiographical features. It comes under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981
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MEDMERRY HARBOUR
Medmerry Harbour is an Environment Agency flood protection zone created in partnership with the RSPB and forms vital new intertidal wildlife habitats. It is the largest realignment of the open coast ever undertaken in the UK and completed in 2013. It is now under RSPB Pagham guidance and protection.
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SELSEY BILL MARINE CONSERVATION ZONE
‘MCZ’ (Marine Conservation Zone) - Selsey Bill and The Hounds Marine Conservation Zone is an area that covers approximately 16 square km and was announced on 31st May 2019 . It was formed to be part of the ‘blue belt’ to protect our diverse and threatened species and habitats around the English Coast. This site has rare sea horses and sea kelp.
The rocks off the shore near the Bracklesham Bay SSSI zone are called The Hounds.
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DARK SKIES
BAA Royal Commission for Dark Skies ‘Protect the Night’.
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Though not officially under statutory protection the Commission has recognised sites in the area which form an arc from West Itchenor on the Manhood Peninsula to Maybush Copse in Chidham to Eames Farm on Thorney Island.
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All these fall within the Chichester Harbour AONB.
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60% of insects are nocturnal.
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Birds and insects in artificially lit areas leads to them becoming stressed to the extent that their breeding success is compromised.
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Artificial light seriously disrupts the feeding pattern of some bat species.
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