Countries of the World/COUNTRYS.BIN/dp/0056/00568.txt

Text File | 1991-06-24 | 29KB | 505 lines

$Unique_ID{COW00568}
$Pretitle{405}
$Title{United Kingdom
Nature Conservation}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC}
$Affiliation{Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC}
$Subject{pollution
control
waste
authorities
environment
land
noise
act
britain
disposal}
$Date{1990}
$Log{}
Country:     United Kingdom
Book:        Planning and the Environment in Britain
Author:      Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC
Affiliation: Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington DC
Date:        1990

Nature Conservation

     The official body responsible for nature conservation in Great Britain is
the Nature Conservancy Council, which has the functions of establishing,
maintaining and managing nature reserves, advising the Government, providing
general information and advice, and commissioning or supporting research.
There are 234 national nature reserves covering some 161,000 hectares
(398,000 acres). Some 5,000 sites of special scientific interest have been
listed for their flora, fauna or geological or physiographical features.

     The Forestry Commission has 344 `sites of special scientific interest'
on its land-covering 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres)-on which nature
conservation is a primary objective. Local authorities have declared about 150
local nature reserves. Voluntary nature conservation trusts and the Royal
Society for the Protection of Birds play an important part in protecting
wildlife, having established between them some 1,800 reserves. The trusts are
affiliated to a parent organisation, the Royal Society for Nature
Conservation. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, with over 440,000
members and 90,000 young ornithologists, is the largest voluntary wildlife
conservation body in Europe.

     In Northern Ireland the Committee for Nature Conservation advises the
Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland on nature conservation
matters including the establishment and management of terrestrial and marine
nature reserves and the declaration of areas of special scientific interest;
46 national nature reserves have been established and 18 areas of special
scientific interest declared.

     The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 extended the list of protected
species (further extended by Order in 1988), restricted the introduction into
the countryside of animals or plants not normally found in the wild, and
afforded greater protection for areas of special scientific interest and other
important habitats. In Northern Ireland two Orders, which became operative in
1985, have brought legislation into line with the rest of Britain on species
and habitat protection.

     Other conservation measures promoted by the Government have included a
ban (in conjunction with other European Community countries) on the import
of whale products and certain seal pup products, a system of licensing zoos to
ensure that captive animals are kept in suitable conditions, and stricter
controls for the protection of wild birds. Certain areas, of importance for
their landscape, historic and habitat value, are being designated
`environmentally sensitive areas' as a result of a change in European
Community regulations allowing governments to make special payments to farmers
to continue their traditional farming methods for the sake of preserving the
countryside and its wildlife. By mid-1988, 19 areas had been designated.

     Britain participated fully in the European Year of the Environment (from
March 1987 to March 1988), which aimed to raise public awareness of
environmental issues and of the individual's responsibility for the present
and future quality of the environment. Over 3,000 events held in Britain
highlighted nature conservation, the control of pollution and wastes, and the
improvement of the urban environment.

Land Reclamation and Use

     Derelict land is often concentrated in places associated with
nineteenth-century industrial development, but the restructuring of particular
industries over the past decade or so is continuing to add significantly to
this problem in certain areas. Dereliction can take various forms and includes
mineral waste tips, old mineral workings, and former industrial sites (such as
steelworks, disused railways and docks), many of which are contaminated sites.

     In England government grants are available under the Derelict Land Act
1982 to local authorities and to other public bodies, to the private sector
and to nationalised industries for the reclamation of such land in order to
bring it into beneficial use or to improve its appearance. The expenditure
provision for the derelict land reclamation programme in 1988-89 is 76 million
Pounds. The main priority is given to reclamation schemes in urban,
particularly inner city, areas that lead to development by the private sector
for industry, commerce and especially housing. Between 1 April 1979 and 31
March 1988 some 11,500 hectares (over 28,000 acres) of derelict land were
reclaimed in England with the aid of some 460 million Pounds of grant.

     In Scotland and Wales responsibility for derelict land reclamation rests
with the respective development agencies, which may acquire and reclaim land,
employ local authorities as their agents (in Scotland) or make grants to local
authorities for the purpose (in Wales). In Northern Ireland grants may be paid
to landowners who restore or improve derelict sites.

     To prevent new dereliction, planning controls require that when
permission is given for mineral working, various measures must be taken to
minimise the disturbance caused by the work and, where practicable, to secure
effective restoration to the former land use or to a new use.

     In Wales land use is additionally encouraged by the Land Authority for
Wales, a statutory body with powers to make land available for development in
circumstances where the private sector would find this difficult or
impossible.

Registers of Unused and Under-used Land

     In England the Government has instituted, and made available for
inspection, registers of unused and under-used land held by local authorities,
nationalised industries and other public bodies; some 64,000 hectares (159,000
acres) have been registered. Of this, some 28,000 hectares (70,000 acres) have
been deregistered mainly because the land has been sold to the private sector
or brought into use. There is power to direct a public body to dispose of
registered land; directions in respect of 73 sites had been issued by the end
of March 1988. Registers are also published for certain areas of Wales.

Environmental Improvement Scheme

     In 1986 the Government launched a new initiative to encourage a wide
range of local environmental improvement work. The initiative, called UK 2000,
brings together representatives of voluntary organisations and independent
members from business. It aims to improve the natural and built environment
and people's enjoyment of it, create jobs, and provide work and training for
the participants. Voluntary organisations promote programmes of work and
assist in the setting up of local projects such as creating parks, footpaths
and other areas of greenery in cities, conserving the industrial heritage and
the natural environment, recycling waste, and providing tourist information
and facilities.

Control of Pollution

     The Control of Pollution Act 1974, which applies to England, Scotland
and Wales, sets out a wide range of powers and duties for local and water
authorities, including control over wastes, air and water pollution and noise,
and contains important provisions on the release of information to the public
on environmental conditions. In particular, it introduced a new system for the
comprehensive planning of waste disposal operations so as to ensure that
disposal is carried out to satisfactory standards and that, where practicable,
waste materials are recovered and recycled. The Act also increased the
penalties for a large number of pollution offences. Similar legislation
applies i