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Sites of special scientific interest

site of special scientific interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is an area of land that has been notified under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) because it contains wildlife, geological or landform features that are considered to be of special importance.

Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) are protected to safeguard these important assets for the benefit of current and future generations. At the time of writing, there are over 1,000 SSSIs covering almost 11 per cent of the land area of Wales.

SSSIs are notified by the Countryside Council for Wales, which selects sites for designation on the basis of well-established scientific criteria (published by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee). Some SSSIs are also recognised as being internationally important and have been classified as Special Protection Areas under the Birds Directive (SPAs), listed as Ramsar sites under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, or put forward as candidate Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under the EC Habitats Directive.

Notifying a SSSI is not the end of the process. Good management and a fruitful partnership between the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) and the land manager needs to be maintained over the longer term to protect the features for which the site has been selected.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 was amended by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to strengthen the protection and management of SSSIs. Key provisions include:

  • A power for the Countryside Council for Wales to refuse consent for activities on SSSIs  
  • A power for the Countryside Council for Wales to formulate management schemes for SSSIs in consultation with land managers, and to enforce these schemes in specific circumstances
  • Rights of appeal to the Assembly against certain actions by CCW in relation to SSSIs
  • Duties on public bodies to further the conservation and enhancement of SSSIs, and to consult CCW before undertaking or approving operations likely to damage the features of an SSSI
  • Measures to address damaging activities by third parties on SSSIs
    Increased penalties for offences relating to SSSIs.

Regulations governing the procedures by which the Assembly handles appeals relating to SSSIs came into force on 31 July 2002.