Consultation on Proposed Changes to Three Existing Special Protection Areas (SPAs)

The consultation is now closed:

Natural Resources Wales is in the process of considering and responding to the representations we have received. We will collate the consultation responses and present these to the Welsh Government. A summary of responses made to Natural Resources Wales will be made publicly available on the website in due course.

How will I find out about the decision?

The final decision will be made by the Welsh Minister for Natural Resources and Food on whether to make the changes to the SPAs. Natural Resources Wales will write to stakeholders, including those who have made representations, to inform them of the Minister’s decision and update the information on our website.

SPAs are European designated sites, classified under the European Wild Birds Directive which gives them enhanced protection.

A Special Protection Area (SPA) is an area of land, water or sea which has been identified as being of international importance for the breeding, feeding, wintering or the migration of rare and vulnerable species of birds found within the European Union.

The Welsh Government has asked Natural Resources Wales to undertake this consultation on their behalf and the Welsh Minister for Natural Resources and Food will make final decisions on whether to proceed with these proposals, based solely on the scientific cases presented to them and any additional scientific information that is revealed during the consultation process.

The Welsh Minister for Natural Resources and Food also wishes to receive information and views on activities which take place within or near these areas and which may be affected by the proposals.

This information is valuable in helping to consider the social and economic impact on the possible changes to these SPAs and also in informing management proposals for these areas. Therefore the Welsh Government will publish an Impact Assessment (IA) report on its website during the separate Natural Resources Wales consultation over the scientific evidence for the proposed changes.

We are consulting on proposals to:

• update the lists of bird species which are considered of international importance for two of these three sites, Glannau Aberdaron ac Ynys Enlli / Aberdaron Coast and Bardsey Island SPA, and Skokholm and Skomer SPA
• update the numbers of birds on Grassholm SPA
• extend seawards the existing boundaries of these three SPAs by between 2km and 9km

Drop-In Sessions

We realise you may have further questions and you are welcome to attend drop-in sessions to discuss face-to-face any queries you may have.

How to respond

Please send the Consultation Response Form by

Email:

spaconsultation@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk

Email responses can be made by midnight 25 April 2014, with attachments, if required, up to a maximum of 20mb.

Post:

International Sites Team
Natural Resources Wales
Maes-y-Ffynnon
Penrhosgarnedd
Bangor
Gwynedd
LL57 2DW

A summary of responses made to Natural Resources Wales will be made publicly available on the website at the end of the consultation period.

Please be aware that we may receive requests, under the Freedom of Information Act or the Environmental Information Regulations, for information which includes individual responses and the names and addresses of persons or organisations. In such cases we have to decide whether to release that information or not, and if someone has asked for their name and address or their individual representations not to be disclosed, we will take that into account in deciding whether to release that information.