LocalNature authoritiesreserves are managed areas of land that protect wildlife, habitats and natural features. They support scientific research and can createprovide localeducational and recreational opportunities. Appropriate management of nature reserves (LNRs).makes sure that recreation activities can take place in a way that does not harm the environment.

Nature reserves declared by local authorities are called local nature reserves. Town and parish councils can create LNRslocal nature reserves if the district council has given them the power to do this.

so. The local authority must control the LNRlocal landnature -reserve eitherland througheither:

• by ownership,owning ait
• by leaseleasing orit
• through an agreement with the owner.owner

Access to your local nature reserve

As a managerlocal ofauthority anmanaging LNRa youlocal neednature toreserve, you must care for and protect its natural features.

Local Younature mustreserves alsoshould makebe youropen landto accessiblethe forpublic, anyif visitors.

Itpublic isn’taccess awill formalnot requirementcause thatdamage youror LNRdisturb iswildlife. openYou tocan therestrict publicaccess butto yousome shouldareas aimif tovisitors makecould atcause leastdamage, partunless ofthe itpublic publiclyhave accessible.statutory access rights.

SelectChoosing a site

ChooseYou should choose a site that is locally important for:

• wildlife
• geology
• education
• enjoyment (without(as disturbinglong wildlife)as it does not harm wildlife and supports other good reasons like learning or nature conservation)

Types of land

Many types of land can make suitable LNRs.local nature reserves. They’re usually areas of natural green spacespace, but the following types of land can also be LNRslocal asnature longreserves asif they have wildlife or geological interest:

• brownfield and artificial sites, such as historic cemeteries
• agricultural land and orchards
• commons and other accessible green spaces

How to declare a local nature reserve

You’lla belocal askedauthority toyou formallymust declareconsult Natural England when using your LNRpowers byfor sendinglocal anature draftreserves.

Here declarationare documentthe -steps you canneed useto thisfollow declarationto documentdeclare templatea (MSlocal Wordnature Document,reserve.

1. Pre-declaration 26consultation

You KB).should Itemail mustNatural beEngland signedto bysay thethat relevantyou localwant authorityto committees,declare have a maplocal showingnature thereserve. boundaryIn andthis email, you should include a management plan detailing:

• ownership of the land
• any agreementsnature reserve agreements, leases or partnerships
• why the LNRlocal nature reserve site was chosen
• aims and objectives
• biodiversity management and environmental education
• community participation, access and visitor management
• costs and funding arrangements

FollowingYour email should also include a boundary site map. This map must show the boundary of the local nature reserve aligned with or within the local authority’s legal ownership as recorded by the land registry. This should include a geographic information systems (GIS) shapefile. Send your email to Natural England enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk.

Natural England may request a site visit and other information if needed.

2. Declaration

Following consultation with Natural England, you willshould bedecide askedwhether to declare a local nature reserve considering Natural England’s response and the relevant legislation. You can use this declaration document template (MS Word Document, 26 KB) which must be completed following your own processes for applying seals and authorised signatures or both.

3. After declaration

You should send a certified copy of the final declaration document to Natural England, signedas well as a:

• final copy of the boundary site map (including a GIS shapefile)
• final copy of the management plan
• copy of the public notice
• completed local nature reserve factsheet (provided by Natural England after consultation)

Once Natural England have received everything in the relevantlist above, they will add your local authoritynature committees.reserve to the Designated Sites View website which provides information about local nature reserves to the public.

4. Announce your local nature reserve

You should put an advert announcing the LNRlocal nature reserve in a local papernewspaper. -You you can use this sample notice (MS Word Document, 25 KB). -Let and let the public inspect the declaration and boundary site map free of charge.

You can hold an official opening ceremony once you have formally declared your LNR.

Naturallocal Englandnature will add your LNR to the Designated Sites View website which provides information about LNRs to the public.reserve.

Manage your local nature reserve

LocalYou authorities can run LNRslocal nature reserves independently or you can involve:

• ‘friends of’ community groups
• wildlife trusts and other recognised conservation bodies
• site-based rangers
• local school children
• Natural England (who can give advice)

Access to your local nature reserve

LNRs should be publicly accessible where visitors would not damage or disturb wildlife. You can restrict access to some areas if visitors could cause damage to the natural environment, unless the public have statutory access rights.

Byelaws

Local authorities and town and parish councils can create LNRlocal nature reserve byelaws.

Byelaws can help you stop people damaging your LNR,local nature reserve, for exampleexample, preventpreventing visitors walking into areas where they could harm wildlife. Before you create byelawsbyelaws, you should have tried other ways to keep your LNRlocal nature reserve safe and its wildlife protected. You can fine people if they break your byelaws.

Byelaws can only be enforced within the LNR.local nature reserve. They must not replicate existing laws. You must have formally declared your LNRlocal nature reserve to Natural England or your byelaws will be invalid.

How to create byelaws

Here are the steps you should follow to create byelaws.

1. Use this model to draft your byelaws (MS Word Document, 36 KB), tailormaking themsure that they are tailored to your site,site. thenAsk sendNatural themEngland to review your draft byelaws. Get in touch with your local Natural England forcontact review.or email lnrdeclarations@naturalengland.org.uk.
2. Send your draft byelaws, with Natural England’s feedback, to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, alongat withprotected.areas@defra.gsi.gov.uk. You should include a colour map of your site and a cover letter explaining why you need byelaws,byelaws. forFor exampleexample, describe other ways you’ve tried to prevent damage to your site.
3. You must advertise your byelaws in local newspapers using this public notice template (MS Word Document, 27 KB) for at least a month before applying for confirmation. If any member of the public raises issues,concerns, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will send them to you to consider.
4. Fix the common seal to the byelawsbyelaws. -If if you haven’thave not got a common seal, 2 named councillors must authorise the sealing of the byelaws.
5. Authorise the named officer, for example clerk to the parish, to apply to the Secretary of State for confirmation.
6. Get confirmation from the Secretary of State.
7. Keep 2 identical signed and sealed originals of the byelaws confirmed by the Secretary of State. Only minor changes are allowed after confirmation and they should be initialled by whoever sealed it.

Help with byelaws

Email your draft byelaws or questions to protected.areas@defra.gsi.gov.uk or write to:

Control dogs on your local nature reserve

You can also put a dog control order in place to:

• ban or restrict the number of dogs
• make visitors clear up their dog mess
• keep dogs on leads

Help

Amending witha byelaws

local nature reserve boundary

EmailExtensions youror draftboundary byelawschanges orof questionsan existing local nature reserve follow the same procedure as declarations. If the site has existing byelaws, they must also be amended to protected.areas@defra.gsi.gov.ukreflect orthe writeboundary to:changes.

De-declaringresponsible anfor LNR

making decisions about changes to the boundary of the local nature reserve. The local authority must consult Natural England on the amendment of the boundaries.

IfThe youprocess needfor toamending reclaima yourlocal nature reserve boundary may require a combination of declaration (where land thenis taken into the local nature reserve) and revoking the declaration (where land is removed from the local nature reserve).

The local authority mustmay de-declarecombine itthese as ana LNRsingle, co-ordinated exercise, and consult with Natural England on both processes as part of the overall proposed boundary change. Get in touch with your local Natural England contact or email lnrdeclarations@naturalengland.org.uk.

The local authority should prepare a formal (legal) declaration to revoke the declaration document (this need only be one side of A4 paper) accompanied by a local nature reserve map. The firstmap stepshould be to de-declarescale yourand LNRaccurately isshow forthe new and existing local nature reserve boundaries aligned with, or within the local authority’s legal ownership as recorded by the land registry.

Once the relevant local authority committees agree the boundary changes, the formal document should be signed according to contactthe local authority’s approved procedures for authorised signatures. This document should be sent, along with a boundary site map to your local Natural England bycontact email:or consultations@naturalengland.org.ukemail lnrdeclarations@naturalengland.org.uk. Natural England can then update their local nature reserve records as necessary.

Revoke a local nature reserve

If you need to consultreclaim your land, you must revoke its declaration as a local nature reserve. Only the local authority that made the declaration can do this. The first step is to get in touch with them.your local Natural England contact or email lnrdeclarations@naturalengland.org.uk.

You should only de-declarerevoke your LNRlocal nature reserve declaration if it’sit absolutelyis necessary,necessary. forFor exampleexample, the land will be lost due to a road-widening scheme.

If your LNRlocal nature reserve becomes a national nature reserve (NNR) then itit’s declaration as a local nature reserve will be de-declaredrevoked.

Contact asus

For general enquires about local nature reserves, not answered on this page, contact us by:

Local authorities with an LNR.enquiry about a declared local nature reserve (including boundary amendments and discrepancies) can contact us by: