This page gives an overview of the complex structure of environmental and cultural

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and manageme ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

. With the advent of

devolved government Devolution is the statutory delegation of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to govern at a subnational level, such as a regional or local level. It is a form of administrative decentralization. Devolved territories ...

for

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

and

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...

and of evolving regional government for

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

, the responsibilities for environment and conservation in the United Kingdom have become more complicated. There follows a list of the legislation, conservation bodies (both governmental and otherwise), and conservation designations, which work together to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the UK. A list of 'objects of conservation' provides further links.

Legislation

Some of the key legislation which governs conservation issues in the UK. This list is not exhaustive. *

Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 or AMAAA was a law passed by the UK government, the latest in a series of Ancient Monument Acts legislating to protect the archaeological heritage of England & Wales and Scotland. Northern ...

* Badgers Act 1991 * Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 *

Environment Act 1995 The Environment Act 1995c 25 passed under the ministerial tutelage of John Gummer, is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament which created a number of new agencies and set new standards for environmental management. See also *English land law En ...

* Environmental Protection Act 1990 *

Environment (Wales) Act 2016 The Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (anaw 3) ( cy, Deddf yr Amgylchedd (Cymru) 2016) is an Act of the National Assembly for Wales that was given royal assent on 21 March 2016. It put into place the necessary legislation to enable the planning and ma ...

* National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 * Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 *

Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom that altered the laws on granting of planning permission for building works, notably including those of the listed building system in ...

* Protection of Badgers Act 1992 *

Weeds Act 1959 The Weeds Act 1959 ('' 7 & 8 Eliz. II c. 54'') is a Consolidation Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Section 1(1) states: "Where the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (in this Act referred to as " the Minister ") is satisfied t ...

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom implemented to comply with European Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds. In short, the act gives protection to native species (especia ...

Conservation bodies

Government departments

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United K ...

(DEFRA) *

Directorates of the Scottish Government The work of the Scottish Government is carried out by Directorates, each headed by a Director. The Directorates are grouped into a number of Directorates-General families, each headed by a Director-General. However, the individual Directorates ar ...

: Environment and Forestry Directorate

Governmental bodies

The following are Executive Agencies of the UK government and regional executives, with note on their areas of responsibility.

United Kingdom

* Joint Nature Conservation Committee — co-ordination of regional bodies *

Forestry Commission The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the management of publicly owned forests and the regulation of both public and private forestry in England. The Forestry Commission was previously also resp ...

— co-ordinating international forestry policy support and certain plant health functions in respect of trees and forestry.

England

Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked w ...

— cultural and built heritage. *

Natural England Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, ...

— nature and wildlife conservation, landscape protection. *

Environment Agency The Environment Agency (EA) is a non-departmental public body, established in 1996 and sponsored by the United Kingdom government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with responsibilities relating to the protection and en ...

— waterways, pollution, waste management. * Forestry England — Forestry managementForestry England
/ref>

Scotland

The following are Public bodies of the Scottish Government, with notes on their areas of responsibility. *

Forestry and Land Scotland Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) ( gd, Coilltearachd agus Fearann Alba) is responsible for managing and promoting Scotland's national forest estate: land, predominantly covered in forest, owned by the Scottish Government on behalf of the nation. ...

— forestry management *

Historic Environment Scotland Historic Environment Scotland (HES) ( gd, Àrainneachd Eachdraidheil Alba) is an executive non-departmental public body responsible for investigating, caring for and promoting Scotland's historic environment. HES was formed in 2015 from the mer ...

— cultural and built heritage *

NatureScot NatureScot ( gd, NàdarAlba), which was formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for the country's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and ...

— landscape protection, wildlife conservation * Scottish Canals — management of inland waterways * Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) — waterways, pollution, waste management * Scottish Forestry — forestry regulation and support

Wales

Cadw (, a Welsh verbal noun meaning "keeping/preserving") is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. works to protect the historic buildings and structures, the landscapes and heritage ...

— cultural and built heritage *

Natural Resources Wales Natural Resources Wales ( cy, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru) is a Welsh Government sponsored body, which became operational from 1 April 2013, when it took over the management of the natural resources of Wales. It was formed from a merger of the Coun ...

(NRW) (formerly Countryside Council for Wales, Forestry Commission Wales and Environment Agency Wales) — protection of landscapes and rural countryside, regulation of waterways, pollution, waste management

Northern Ireland

* Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) — conservation of natural and built heritage *

Forest Service Northern Ireland The Forest Service Northern Ireland is an executive agency of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development entrusted with the development of forestry and the management of forests in Northern Ireland. It was created on 1 April 1998. The ...

Non-governmental organisations

* Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland *

Botanical Society of the British Isles The Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) is a scientific society for the study of flora, plant distribution and taxonomy relating to Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. The society was founded as the Bo ...

* British Dragonfly Society *

British Trust for Ornithology The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is an organisation founded in 1932 for the study of birds in the British Isles. The Prince of Wales has been patron since October 2020. History Beginnings In 1931 Max Nicholson wrote: In the United Stat ...

* British Waterfowl Association *

Buglife Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust (usually referred to simply as Buglife) is a UK-based nature conservation charity. Structure Buglife's head office is in Peterborough, England; with additional offices in Scotland, Wales, Northern ...

Butterfly Conservation Butterfly Conservation (BC) is a UK-wide nonprofit environmentalist organization and charity dedicated to conserving butterflies, moths, and the environment. The charity uses its research to provide advice on how to conserve and restore butterfly ...

*The Canal & River Trust, formerly British Waterways * Cam Valley Wildlife Group * Civic Trust * Civic Trust for Wales * Boards of Conservators which have been established for specific areas. *

Council for British Archaeology The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) is an educational charity established in 1944 in the UK. It works to involve people in archaeology and to promote the appreciation and care of the historic environment for the benefit of present and futu ...

Council for the Protection of Rural England CPRE, The Countryside Charity, formerly known by names such as the ''Council for the Preservation of Rural England'' and the ''Council for the Protection of Rural England'', is a charity in England with over 40,000 members and supporters. Form ...

(CPRE) * Environment Wales * Historic Houses Association *

Institute of Conservation The Institute of Conservation (Icon) is the professional charitable body, representing and supporting the practice and profession of conservation. It has around 2500 members worldwide, including professional conservators, scientists and teachers i ...

* John Muir Trust *

Marine Conservation Society The Marine Conservation Society is a UK based not-for-profit organization working with businesses, governments and communities to clean and protect the oceans. Founded in 1983, the group claims to be working towards "cleaner, better-protected, h ...

* National Gardens Scheme *

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

(England, Wales, Northern Ireland) * National Trust for Scotland * Norfolk Conservation Corps *

North East Civic Trust North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a charitable organisation registered in England and Wales and in Scotland. It was founded in 1889. It works to promote conservation and protection of birds and the wider environment thro ...

(RSPB) * Scottish Civic Trust * Scottish Forest Alliance *

Scottish Ornithologists' Club The Scottish Ornithologists' Club (SOC) is a Scottish ornithological body, founded in March 1936 at the premises of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society. As of 2008, the SOC has 2,200 members. The Club runs the Scottish Birds Records Committee ...

* Scottish Wildlife Trust * Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings *

The Conservation Volunteers The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) is a British community volunteering charity focused on environmental conservation through practical tasks undertaken by volunteers. Until 1 May 2012, it traded as BTCV – British Trust for Conservation Volunte ...

* The Grasslands Trust *

Trinity House "Three In One" , formation = , founding_location = Deptford, London, England , status = Royal Charter corporation and registered charity , purpose = Maintenance of lighthouses, buoys and beacons , he ...

* Ulster Wildlife Trust * The Welsh Wildlife Trusts * Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) * The Wildlife Trusts partnership links to every county Wildlife Trust *

The Woodland Trust The Woodland Trust is the largest woodland conservation charity in the United Kingdom and is concerned with the creation, protection, and restoration of native woodland heritage. It has planted over 50 million trees since 1972. The Woodland T ...

* The Animal Project

Conservation designations

National parks

National parks A national park is a natural park in use for conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individua ...

Areas designated by government agencies

The following designations are established or monitored by the executive agencies listed above.

Other United Kingdom conservation designations

* Area of archaeological importance (under the

) *

Area of archaeological potential Areas of archaeological potential, also known as areas of high archaeological potential or urban archaeological zones, are locations within a country identified by archeologists as sites where buried archaeological artifacts are likely to survive. ...

Conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

Country park A country park is a natural area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment. United Kingdom History In the United Kingdom, the term ''country park'' has a special meaning. There are around 250 recognised cou ...

Green belt A green belt is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which h ...

(intended to be a

planning Planning is the process of thinking regarding the activities required to achieve a desired goal. Planning is based on foresight, the fundamental capacity for mental time travel. The evolution of forethought, the capacity to think ahead, is c ...

policy rather than a conservation designation, but often interpreted as the latter) *

Listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

* Local nature reserve *

Regional park A regional park is an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, recreational use or other reason, and under the administration of a form of local government. Definition A regional park can be a special park distri ...

* Regionally important geological site

International conservation designations

Biosphere reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

s *

Ramsar site A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **

Special Area of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and a ...

(SAC) *

Special Protection Area A Special Protection Area (SPA) is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union (EU) have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certa ...

(SPA) ** SACs and SPAs are part of

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respecti ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

Other United Kingdom conservation policies

* Article 4 direction * United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP)

Objects of conservation

United Kingdom

Botanical gardens in the United Kingdom Botanical gardens in the United Kingdom is a link page for any botanical garden, arboretum or pinetum in the United Kingdom. England Berkshire * Harris Garden, University of Reading, Reading Birmingham * Birmingham Botanical Gardens * Winterb ...

Chalk figures in the United Kingdom A hill figure is a large visual representation created by cutting into a steep hillside and revealing the underlying geology. It is a type of geoglyph usually designed to be seen from afar rather than above. In some cases trenches are dug and r ...

* Forests in the United Kingdom *

Heritage railway A heritage railway or heritage railroad (US usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) i ...

* List of abbeys and priories *

List of castles __NOTOC__ This is a list of castles from around the world. By country Africa * Castles in Ghana * Castles in South Africa Americas * Castles in Brazil * Castles in Canada * Castles in Mexico * Castles in the United States Asia ...

List of gardens The list of gardens is a link page for any park or garden open to the public, anywhere in the world. Argentina *Buenos Aires Botanical Garden Australia Australian Capital Territory *Australian National Botanic Gardens New South Wales * Aubur ...

* List of historic houses *

Long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom There are hundreds of long-distance footpaths in the United Kingdom designated in publications from public authorities, guidebooks and OS maps. They are mainly used for hiking and walking, but some may also be used, in whole or in part, for ...

Pier Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century.">England.html" ;"title="Brighton, England">Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th ...

s *

Roman sites in the United Kingdom There are many Roman sites in Great Britain that are open to the public. There are also many sites that do not require special access, including Roman roads, and sites that have not been uncovered. England *Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland and Cumb ...

Watermills in the United Kingdom The use of water power in Britain was at its peak just before the Industrial Revolution. The need for power was great and steam power had not yet become established. It is estimated that at this time there were well in excess of ten thousand water ...

* Waterways in the United Kingdom *

Windmills in the United Kingdom This is a list of windmills and windpumps in the United Kingdom. England The list is divided into the current ceremonial counties of England: Bedfordshire See List of windmills in Bedfordshire Berkshire ;Mock mill Buckinghamshire See Li ...

England

* Abbeys and priories in England * Castles in England * Cycleways in England * List of English Heritage properties *

Gardens in England Gardens in England is a link page for any garden, botanical garden, arboretum or pinetum open to the public in England. The National Gardens Scheme also opens many small, interesting, private gardens to the public on one or two days a year fo ...

* Historic houses in England * Lighthouses in England *

List of National Trust properties in England This is a list of National Trust properties in England, including any stately home, historic house, castle, abbey, museum or other property in the care of the National Trust in England. Bedfordshire *Dunstable Downs *Whipsnade Tree Cathedral * ...

Treasure Houses of England The Treasure Houses of England group is a heritage consortium. It was founded in the early 1970s by nine of the foremost stately homes in England still in private ownership, with the aim of marketing and promoting themselves as tourist venues. H ...

Scotland

Abbeys and priories in Scotland List of monastic houses in Scotland is a catalogue of the abbeys, priory, priories, friary, friaries and other monastic religious houses of Scotland. In this article alien houses are included, as are smaller establishments such as Monastic cel ...

* Castles in Scotland *

Cycleways in Scotland Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except whe ...

Gardens in Scotland Gardening in Scotland, the design of planned spaces set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature in Scotland began in the Middle Ages. Gardens, or yards, around medieval abbeys, castles and houses were ...

* Historic houses in Scotland * Lighthouses in Scotland * National Trust for Scotland

Wales

* Abbeys and priories in Wales * Castles in Wales *

Cycleways in Wales The following is a list of cycleways in Wales. *Celtic Trail cycle route (a multiple-route trail between Chepstow and St Davids, using parts of Routes 42, 43, 46, 47, 49, and 492, 4, the Millennium Coastal Path and a large part of R ...

* Gardens in Wales * Historic houses in Wales * Lighthouses in Wales * List of Cadw properties *

List of National Trust properties in Wales Below is a list of the stately homes, historic houses, castles, abbeys, museums, estates, coastline and open country in the care of the National Trust in Wales, grouped into the unitary authority areas. Many areas of land owned by the trust, both ...

Northern Ireland

Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland This is a list of the abbeys, priories, friaries and other monastic religious houses in Ireland. This article provides a gazetteer for the whole of Ireland. Links to individual county lists ''To navigate the listings on this page, use th ...

Castles in Northern Ireland This List of Castles in Ireland, be they in Northern Ireland and thus United Kingdom or in the Republic of Ireland, is organised by county within their respective jurisdiction. Republic of Ireland County Carlow : County Cavan : Coun ...

* Cycleways in Northern Ireland *

Gardens in Northern Ireland {{Short description, none Gardens in Northern Ireland is a page for any garden open to the public in Northern Ireland. List of gardens in Northern Ireland: *Belfast Botanic Gardens *Clandeboye Estate, Bangor, County Down * Drenagh, Limavady, Count ...

* Historic houses in Northern Ireland * Lighthouses in Northern Ireland *

List of National Trust properties in Northern Ireland National Trust properties in Northern Ireland is a list of National Trust properties in Northern Ireland. County Antrim *Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge *The Crown Liquor Saloon *Divis and Black Mountain, Belfast *Dunseverick Castle *Fair Head Coas ...

References

{{Europe topic, Conservation in, UK_only=no Land management in the United Kingdom