Protected sites Environment Act target delivery plan
Protected sites in favourable condition are an important delivery mechanism for abundant and resilient populations of species. They provide refugia and support key populations of threatened species, playing a vital role in preventing local and national extinctions.
Statutory Environment Act targets
The targets that the protected sites interim target supports, along with other measures are:
- halt the decline in species abundance by 2030
- increase species abundance so that by 2042 it is greater than in 2022 and at least 10% greater than in 2030
- reduce the risk of species extinction by 2042 compared to 2022 levels
Interim target
- By December 2030, 50% of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) features to have actions on track to achieve favourable condition.
Rationale for interim target: why and how it will progress delivery of the Environment Act target
Protected sites, including SSSIs, are our best existing areas for nature, providing places within which species can thrive and from which they can disperse to the wider countryside. There is therefore a direct link between action on SSSIs and the statutory species targets. SSSIs support a wide range of species including many of England’s rare and threatened species. Improving the condition of SSSIs contributes to the abundance of these species and wider species in the abundance target. Our ambition is to bring 75% of SSSIs into favourable condition by 2042.
The 50% of actions on track interim target is a key indicator of progress in improving the condition of SSSIs in line with this ambition.
Natural England (NE) carries out condition assessments of SSSI features to identify the pressures affecting them and the actions required to maintain or restore them to favourable condition. For these actions to count as being ‘on track,’ they must be progressing according to plan, and an up-to-date condition assessment must be in place for the relevant features. The government has a clear ambition (as set out in EIP25) for all SSS features to have an up-to-date condition assessment by 2032.
Delivery measures
We expect to deliver the interim target through a mix of government schemes, partnership working and action from landowners, Environmental non-governmental organisations (eNGOs), public bodies and farmers.
The largest share of delivery is expected through NE’s SSSI Improvement Programme and the Environmental Land Management schemes, details of which are set out below. However, a wide range of actions will be needed.
Table 1 sets out the key measures that will deliver the target.
Table 1: Summary of key actions needed on SSSI features to support the protected sites delivery plan
| Delivery measure | Description | Estimated contribution to the interim targets | Evidence of impact | Responsible | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Stewardship and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) | We will support farmers and land managers through our agri-environment schemes to take actions that improve the condition of SSSIs, such as addressing water pollution, changing grazing regimes, tackling invasive species and restoring rivers and lakes. | High | We are working to agree the most appropriate data and metrics to monitor progress towards our ambition, and further work is underway to develop a robust, longer-term approach to assessing the impact of agri-environment scheme action. | Defra | In delivery |
| Landscape Recovery scheme | Landscape Recovery supports large-scale, long-term projects that restore nature, improve biodiversity, and deliver environmental benefits across whole landscapes in England | Medium | Projects will continue to move into delivery | Defra | In delivery |
| Conservation Enhancement Scheme (CES) and the SSSI Investigation Fund | CES is an invitation-only scheme providing grant funding to owner and occupiers to carry out restoration work on SSSIs. Examples of funded actions include scrub and tree removal, INNS control, rotational cutting on reed beds, management of grasslands, re-exposure of geological sites. The SSSI Investigation Fund helps to identify solutions that will contribute to addressing pressures on protected sites | Medium | During 2025 to 2026, 37 new live CES Agreements and 14 SSSI Investigation Projects were delivered covering a broad range of SSSI features and pressures | NE | In delivery |
| Peat Programme | The Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme (NCPGS) currently provides the primary funding mechanism for peatland restoration, with the majority of land in the scheme within SSSIs. | Medium | The NCPGS, including the one-year precursor, is expected to bring approximately 33,000 hectares into active restoration management by the time it ends in March 2027 | Defra | In delivery |
| Protected Sites Strategies (PSS) | The 5 pilots which ran between 2022 and 2025 tested a partnership approach to resolving a range of issues affecting SSSIs at a landscape scale. We will begin delivery for up to 10 Protected Sites Strategies in 2026 to 2027 - including the 5 current pilots to restore and improve their condition. This will address upstream environmental pressures, such as pollution and habitat degradation and will also gather evidence to inform the rollout to other protected sites. NE will begin delivery on an additional 3 sites every year until the financial year 2029 to 2030 in priority areas, resulting in at least 20 PSS over 5 years. | Medium | Defra also expects to publish Secretary of State guidance, outlining the duty to cooperate with PSS by the end of 2026. Site restoration and sustainable growth were used as key criteria to identify where PSS will be most effectively located to support programme objectives. | Defra | In delivery |
| NE SSSI Improvement Programme | The programme provides monitoring, advice, incentives, and regulation of SSSIs, and direct management of the NE owned National Nature Reserve (NNRs) SSSIs (approximately 5%). It includes the roll-out of adaptive delivery plans on at least 10% of sites identified as being at high risk from climate change. | High | NE’s improved understanding of SSSI condition, pressures, and actions required to address them is gathered through monitoring | SSSI Improvement Programme | In delivery |
| FE SSSI Maintenance and improvement | Forestry England (FE) manages over 6% of SSSIs and NNRs. FE are working to bring their FE-managed SSSI estate into favourable condition. | Medium high | The Forestry Commission Key Performance Indicators Report for 2024 to 2025 states that as of April 2025, 69.5% of the listed woodland features are assessed as in favourable or recovering condition and 39.6% as in a favourable condition. FE will continue to manage sites to increase favourable condition. |
FE | In delivery |
| EA SSSI programme | The programme delivers SSSI improvement through projects to maintain or improve SSSIs, and through the local SSSI priority actions project work. This work is delivered through operational teams carrying out actions EA is responsible for on other landowners’ land (permitting, enforcement, flood and coastal management). | Medium high | Water pollution is a key pressure on SSSIs and work to address this pressure has the potential to improve the condition of around 60% of SSSIs which have water-dependent features. | Environment Agency (EA) | In delivery |
| SSSI Major Landowners Group (MLG) | A group of organisations who own and manage almost 50% of the SSSI ‘estate’ in England and are taking action to support the ‘actions on track’ interim target, by implementing the actions required to restore their SSSIs to favourable condition. It includes large environmental organisations, such as the RSPB, National Trust and the Wildlife Trusts, utility companies and public bodies | Medium high | Defra chairs the MLG which develops and implements solutions to recover SSSIs. Defra will ensure clear links to the National Estate for Nature group (NEN) to provide information, assess progress and take action. | SSSI MLG (chaired by Defra) | In delivery |
| Protected Landscapes | Around 50% of SSSI land is within Protected Landscapes. The Protected Landscape Targets and Outcomes Framework sets out how National Parks and national landscapes contribute to environmental targets. Protected Landscapes have a target for 60% of SSSI features within Protected Landscapes to have actions on track by 2028 to support the recovery of SSSIs to favourable condition. | Medium | As stated in the Protected Landscape Targets and Outcomes Framework progress report, in national landscapes, the percentage of SSSIs with actions on track increased from 15% in 2024 to 21% in 2025. National Parks also showed improvement, rising from 11% to 18% over the same period. When combined, the total for Protected Landscapes rose from 13% in 2024 to 19% in 2025. Over the same time period the percentage of SSSIs with actions on track across England increased from 14% to 21%. | Defra | In delivery |
Key milestones
Defra receives regular progress updates from NE which are used to assess progress towards the interim target. Progress can be seen on the NE Designated Sites View website, and annual updates will be reflected in Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) annual progress reports.
Illustrative trajectory
Figure 1: SSSI actions on track linear trajectory
The dashed trajectory line represents a simple linear trajectory from the September 2022 baseline (around 8%) to the ambition of 50% of SSSI features with actions on track by 2030. This assumes a constant rate of improvement over time, providing a clear benchmark against which observed progress can be compared. Actual performance to date (shown by the solid line) has broadly tracked this trajectory.
As of the end of March 2026, data from NE’s report on SSSI feature status, on the Designated Sites View website, shows that:
- 35% of SSSI features have an up-to-date condition assessment
- 26% of SSSI features have actions on track to reach favourable condition
We have a clear ambition for all SSSIs to have an up-to-date condition assessment by 2032. Actions to improve the condition of SSSI features will only count as ‘on track’ if an up-to-date condition assessment is in place.
Progress is expected to continue beyond 2030. The long-term ambition is that 75% of SSSI features will be in favourable condition by 2042.
Monitoring and evaluation summary
The metric for the SSSI interim target is based on the proportion of SSSI features with an up-to-date condition assessment and actions on track to achieve favourable condition.
Condition assessments follow the Common Standards Monitoring (CSM) guidance and are reported through NE’s Designated Sites View website.
The actions-on-track indicator reflects progress in implementing the measures required to reach favourable condition including:
- appropriate grazing regimes
- scrub control,
- actions to address pollution
Metrics will be updated annually in the EIP annual progress report. NE is also incorporating climate change risk assessments for all SSSIs in its monitoring programme.