Local Nature Reserves in England: Statutory Designated Sites for Wildlife and People

England's Local Nature Reserves are statutory designations made by local authorities under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. The dataset, provided by Natural England, covers sites with locally significant wildlife or geological features, ranging from coastal headlands and ancient woodlands to reclaimed urban areas. It is described as an indicative national resource contributing to biodiversity, with a last recorded update in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Mapping protected area networks based on statutory designations mentioned in the description
• Analyzing biodiversity contributions based on sites of special local interest for wildlife or geology
• Planning public access to nature based on sites intended for study, learning, and enjoyment
• Studying land use change based on sites that include former railways, landfills, and industrial areas

Strengths

• Provided by Natural England, the government's adviser for the natural environment in England.
• Covers a diverse range of habitats from coastal headlands to reclaimed urban sites as described.
• Last updated timestamp is provided (2026-04-29 12:04:11.732934).

Limitations

• The dataset is described as 'indicative' not 'definitive'; definitive information must come from individual local authorities.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Natural England

Collection Method

Statutory designation by principal local authorities and delegated Parish/Town Councils.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-29 12:04:11.732934

Geography

England