Clause 55 - Notices and signs relating to SSSIs
Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill
6:45 pm
Jim Knight (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; South Dorset, Labour)
I fully appreciate the intention of the amendment, but I am going to ask the Committee to resist it, for reasons that I hope to make clear. The power to erect notices and signs is for use where there is justified need because of Natural England’s responsibilities for sites of special scientific interest. We would, naturally, expect Natural England to liaise with owners and occupiers, as a matter of common courtesy, before using such powers. Its use is far more likely to be beneficial to the interests of owners and occupiers, and complementary to their efforts to manage the land for its special interests, than it is to have any detrimental effect on their interests. In almost every case, I imagine that once consulted, owners will be happy and everything will be fine.
I will give a key example. As we stated in the regulatory impact assessment, the provision will be particularly helpful in addressing problems such as third-party damage at sites of special scientific interest. Earlier this month, English Nature issued a press release stating that reported incidents of criminal activity on SSSIs had doubled in the last year, with more than 70 per cent. of incidents caused by persons other than the owners and occupiers. Unlawful off-road driving, which we shall discuss, and moor burning, for example, must be as much of a concern to the owners and occupiers of the land as it is to English Nature and will be to Natural England. Use of signs and notices, either at Natural England’s instigation or at the request of owners and occupiers, to warn and deter such people would benefit everyone.
In England, 55 per cent. of common land is SSSI land, and Committee members will know that this week we have introduced the draft Commons Bill in the other place, which will address issues in respect of common land. However, some commons have hundreds of registered commoners and a requirement to conduct a formal consultation process with each and every one of them, even to erect only one or two signs at the point of entry to the SSSI, would be a significant administrative exercise completely disproportionate to any likely impact on the interests of the commoners.
Until we have implemented the Commons Bill—assuming that it passes all its stages in Parliament—it will still take some time to clarify all the registration of common land. As things stand, it will be difficult to know if we even have been able to contact all the commoners.