Local Wildlife Sites and Local Geological Sites in Planning

 

A Local Wildlife Site can be a very important planning constraint even though it is not a statutory designation. The same applies to a Local Geological Site. These sites are selected locally for significant biodiversity or geodiversity value and are protected principally through the development plan and planning decisions.

Natural England published new guidance on Local Sites on 10 August 2026. The timing matters because the August 2026 National Planning Policy Framework now contains a specific national decision-making policy for locally important nature sites.

You may not always see the same name. Depending on the area, a Local Wildlife Site may be called a County Wildlife Site, Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) or Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI). Local Geological Sites were historically often known as Regionally Important Geological Sites, or RIGS.

 

What is a Local Site?

 

Natural England uses Local Sites as the collective term for Local Wildlife Sites and Local Geological Sites. They are non-statutory sites of significant nature conservation value, identified and selected through local systems rather than designated under a national statutory process.

That distinction is important. A Local Site is not the same thing as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Area of Conservation or other statutory nature designation. It does not carry the same legal regime simply because it appears on a local map.

But “non-statutory” does not mean “irrelevant”. Local Sites can be material considerations and can carry substantial planning weight where the development plan and evidence show that the site is locally important.

 

Local Wildlife Sites

 

Local Wildlife Sites are selected for significant biodiversity value. They can include ancient or species-rich grassland, woodland, wetlands, heathland, ponds, river corridors, brownfield habitats and other places that support important habitats or species.

The name varies around England. Common alternatives include:

• County Wildlife Site
• Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC)
• Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI)
• other locally adopted equivalents

The label matters less than the underlying status and local policy. If a planning constraint search identifies one of these names, check the council’s development plan, policies map and the current site citation rather than assuming it has a different level of protection because the acronym is different.

 

Local Geological Sites

 

Local Geological Sites are selected for significant geological or geomorphological value. They can include rock exposures, quarries, landforms, fossil sites and other features which help explain the geological history of an area.

The older term Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS) is still encountered in local plans, reports and historic records. Natural England’s 2026 guidance uses Local Geological Site as the current generic terminology.

A geological constraint can be easy to miss where an application team concentrates only on habitats and protected species. A site can have important geodiversity value even where its ecological interest appears limited.

 

What does the NPPF 2026 say?

 

Policy N6 of the August 2026 NPPF now deals expressly with sites of local importance. For this policy, that includes a Local Nature Reserve, Local Wildlife Site, Local Geological Site or an equivalent identified in the development plan.

A proposal affecting such a site should only be supported if either there would not be a significant adverse effect on the integrity of the site, or the benefits of development in the proposed location clearly outweigh the likely impact on the features which make the site valuable for nature conservation.

The policy also makes clear that it can apply to development outside the boundary where the proposal would affect the identified biodiversity or geodiversity value of the site.

This is an important change from treating Local Sites as little more than a local-plan footnote. There is now a clear national decision-making policy as well as whatever protection appears in the development plan.

 

How are Local Sites selected?

 

Selection is normally coordinated by a Local Sites partnership using locally agreed criteria and evidence. Natural England’s guidance expects selection systems to be transparent, consistent and based on sound information.

For wildlife sites the assessment will usually look at matters such as habitat quality, rarity, diversity, size, connectivity and species interest. Geological sites can also be selected for scientific, educational, historical or aesthetic value.

Selection is not planning permission and it is not a national statutory designation process. The practical planning consequence comes from the site’s evidential value, its inclusion in the local system and the relevant development-plan and national policies.

 

What should an applicant do if a site is affected?

 

Start with the current information rather than a historic constraints plan. Boundaries, citations and survey information can change. Natural England recommends obtaining the current Local Site boundary and citation and understanding why the site was selected.

An applicant should normally:

• confirm the current site boundary and citation
• identify the features for which the site is important
• check the development plan and policies map
• obtain proportionate and up-to-date ecological or geological evidence
• apply the mitigation hierarchy by avoiding harm first, then mitigating it, and compensating only as a last resort
• consider indirect effects such as drainage, lighting, recreation, pollution, access and habitat fragmentation
• show how retained features will be protected during construction and in the long term

For ecological work, our ecological survey calendar explains why survey timing can affect a planning programme. The protected species guide covers the separate legal and planning issues which can arise if protected species are present.

 

Does Biodiversity Net Gain override a Local Wildlife Site?

 

No. Biodiversity Net Gain is not a licence to damage an existing Local Wildlife Site. Natural England’s new guidance expressly says BNG does not replace existing protections and the mitigation hierarchy still applies.

A scheme may calculate a positive biodiversity metric result and still be unacceptable because of the nature, location or significance of the harm to an existing site. Equally, a well-designed development may be able to avoid the important features, improve connectivity and deliver meaningful enhancement.

 

Can a Local Site stop development?

 

There is no automatic blanket ban. The answer depends on the site’s value, the nature and scale of the effect, the development plan, NPPF policy N6 and the planning balance.

That said, a proposal which would cause significant adverse effects to the integrity of a Local Site starts from a difficult position under N6 unless its locational benefits clearly outweigh the harm. The safest approach is therefore to understand the constraint before fixing the layout or buying a site on the assumption that the designation can simply be “offset”.

 

Where can I find Local Site information?

 

The local planning authority’s policies map and local environmental records centre are often the best starting points. The relevant Local Sites partnership may also hold citations, survey records and selection information.

Do not rely only on a national constraints map. These are local designations and the most authoritative information is often held locally.

 

Official guidance

 

Natural England – Local Sites and nature conservation

Natural England – Selecting and managing Local Sites

Planning Practice Guidance – Natural environment

Conservation, Heritage & Protected Sites

 

Local Sites Page Created: 27th August 2026