I’m delighted to bring you a ‘stop press’ blog – my colleague Tim Melling has written about the West Pennine Moors before – you can catch up here. Here he is again updating the story
Today we have something to celebrate; we’ve had confirmation from Natural England that they have now moved to protect the West Pennine Moors, by making this important upland area a Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI.
A timely example of Natural England stepping up and doing its job as an independent body that acts as a champion for nature.
This is the outcome nature needs.
Cotton grass nodding on the West Pennine Moors. Photo credit Tim Melling
The designation of this site, finally gives national recognition to the significance of the area’s habitats, species and geology. The West Pennine Moors is important for a whole range of upland habitats including the outstanding blanket bogs, and wooded cloughs (narrow valleys for those not in the North of England – ed), which support varied plant life, fungi and a fantastic assemblage of birds including curlew and merlin. The case for designation has, in no small part, been championed by local naturalists and conservationists, in particular Steve Martin and Peter Jepson have played a vital role - this is a proud day for them.
The West Pennine Moors is the high land between Bolton and Blackburn and so is popular and loved by a large number of people – this is not a remote place it is an accessible and familiar landscape.
There’s real pleasure and no little relief, here at the RSPB that Natural England has decided to designate this site ahead of any decision on the proposal to construct three wind turbines on Hoddlesdon Moss at the heart of the West Pennines. We agree renewable energy is important in our fight against climate change, but these technologies must be deployed in a way that doesn’t negatively impact on our special wildlife. Hoddlesden Moss is not the right place.
The process of designating the West Pennine Moors has been long and drawn out – it’s undoubtedly of national importance but the ability of Natural England to get on with the process the designation has been hampered by additional internal hurdles. For a time these hurdles risked undermining the role of the NE (the statutory authority) in undertaking an objective and evidence-based appraisal of the value of the site and completing the designation. It is our fervent hope It that these same barriers do not prove an obstacle to securing the protection of other qualifying wildlife sites.
In recent years very few important wildlife sites have been designated as SSSIs. We’ve been concerned about Natural England’s seeming reticence to use their powers to designate wildlife sites. Indeed their newly released strategy has signaled their intention to use their regulatory powers less, and focus on brokering voluntary agreements. The risk is that these voluntary agreements may prove time consuming to secure and yet deliver less for nature.
Our warmest congratulations to the staff of Natural England - this is a good day for conservation. Our wildlife needs strong friends and today’s excellent news should be a sign that they will continue to champion the protection of England’s special wildlife sites.