England’s wildlife watchdog failing to protect crucial sites, say campaigners

In three years Natural England has designated just two new SSSIs, which protect areas from development

The government's wildlife watchdog for England is failing to halt the decline of nature after a sharp fall in the number of new places given top protection, according to campaigners.

On average over the past 15 years, Natural England has designated four new sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) each year. SSSIs are nationally or internationally important places for rare wildlife and habitats, meet strict criteria and are then usually protected from almost all possible development.