Protected Nature in England Continues to Decline, Warns Wildlife Coalition

Published: 10 September 2025 | The English Chronicle Online

The area of England effectively protected for nature is continuing to shrink, according to the latest data from Wildlife and Countryside Link, the country’s largest coalition of wildlife organisations. Experts say the findings highlight growing concerns that government policies are allowing habitats to deteriorate, putting the UK’s biodiversity targets at risk.

The UK government has pledged to protect 30% of the nation’s land and sea for nature by 2030, a commitment made in 2020 under then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Current figures, however, show that only 2.83% of England meets the standard for effective protection. Wales stands at 2.4%, Northern Ireland at 4%, and Scotland leads at 12.6%, bringing the UK-wide average to just 6%, far short of the 30% goal.

According to the Wildlife and Countryside Link report, the proportion of England’s land considered effectively protected has fallen from 2.93% in 2024. The decline is attributed not to reductions in the extent of designated areas, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), but to the deterioration of their condition. Currently, only 33% of SSSIs are deemed to be in favourable condition, down from 38% in 2021 and 39% in 2017.

Conservation experts warn that this downward trend could worsen, particularly in light of the planning and infrastructure bill currently progressing through Parliament. The legislation, critics argue, undermines legal protections for thousands of nature sites that were previously safeguarded under EU law. Guardian analysis has identified 5,000 sites potentially at risk if the bill passes without amendments.

The report highlights multiple failures in government policy. The pace of designating new protected areas is too slow, and many existing sites suffer from inadequate or inappropriate management. Officials often lack sufficient data to track biodiversity trends or to implement effective recovery strategies. Marine habitats are similarly at risk, with 38% of UK waters designated as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), yet many remain exposed to damaging activities such as bottom trawling, offshore energy development, dredging, pollution, and cable laying. Earlier this year, Sir David Attenborough drew public attention to bottom trawling in protected areas, showing how the practice devastates seabed ecosystems.

Richard Benwell, chief executive of Wildlife and Countryside Link, emphasised the urgency of the situation: “With just five years left, the UK runs a real risk of missing its 30by30 nature target by a country mile. Protecting 30% of land and sea is not a luxury. It’s vital to halt wildlife decline and to secure the natural foundations of our health and economy. The goal is still attainable, but only if ministers show real political will. A rapid rollout of new protected sites, along with better care for nature in our national parks and landscapes, could make this ambition a reality.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) responded by stressing the government’s commitment to reversing nature decline: “Nature is not a luxury, it’s life itself, and as a proud nation of nature lovers the government is committed to turning the tide on its decline after years of neglect. We will publish our 30×30 action plan in due course, outlining the concrete and targeted actions we will take to achieve these targets.”

With the UK’s biodiversity under increasing pressure, environmentalists say the next five years will be critical. Success will depend on the rapid expansion of protected areas, improved management of existing sites, and sustained political commitment to safeguarding the natural world for future generations.