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Planning consideration

Ramsar

An area of wetlands that is of international importance

Design stage
On the platform
Tags

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Synonyms
  • Protected sites
Legislation
No legislation added
Expected number of records
1,291
Frequency of updates
Ad hoc
Useful links
No useful links added
Technical specification
No specification added

Background information

Each planning consideration we work on passes through the stages of our design process, where we research and answer specific questions to help us collect more information.

Backlog

  • Who asked for 'Ramsar' data?

    Claire, planning policy SME

  • What is the driver for the request?

    Existing planning requirement

  • Which 2024 focus area does the request support?

    • Faster local plans

Screen

  • What is the 'Ramsar' consideration?

    Ramsar Sites are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. These sites are selected based on their importance for conserving biological diversity and possessing representative, rare, or unique wetland types.

  • Is there legislation that defines 'Ramsar'?

    Yes

    • What is the legislation that defines 'Ramsar'?

      The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is an international treaty, not specific national legislation, that focuses on the conservation and wise use of wetlands. The UK ratified the convention and designates Ramsar sites, but there isn't specific legislation directly focused on protecting these sites. Instead, Ramsar sites in the UK are protected under existing national and regional schemes, such as Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

    • What is the specific part of the legislation that describes how a 'Ramsar' gets designated?

    • What is the specific part of the legislation that requires the publication of 'Ramsar'?

  • Who, in law, is responsible for the planning consideration or makes decisions about 'Ramsar'?

  • Which organisations do we think should publish the data?

    • Natural England

  • Is the Ramsar a trigger?

    Yes

    • What needs to be done because Ramsar has acted as the trigger?

      Development near or within Ramsar sites requires careful assessment to ensure it doesn't negatively impact the site's ecological integrity. This involves evaluating potential direct and indirect effects, and if adverse effects are likely, projects may only proceed with "imperative reasons of overriding public interest" and appropriate compensatory measures

  • Is the Ramsar something to consult during plan making?

    Yes

    • Provide information about when Ramsar is used during plan making

      Local Plan policies will take into account the presence of ramsars sites, and allocate development accordingly. It may also be necessary to develop site ramsar plans, environmental impact assessments and habitat regulations assessments in order to protect and mitigate any impacts on ramsar sites.

  • Is there any Ramsar data already available?

    Yes

  • Do we think the data should come from a single source?

    Yes, this data is available nationally via a single endpoint provided by Natural England.

  • Will a data standard be required?

    No

Research

  • Do we understand the lifecycle of a Ramsar?

  • Do we understand how the data is created/produced?

    We expect that, based on the attribution statement for the data, it is produced using Ordnance Survey basemaps.

  • Where will or should the data be used?

    Ramsar data should be used for guiding sustainable land-use planning, biodiversity conservation, climate change strategies, and water management. It helps protect wetlands and maintain their ecological benefits.

  • Special Protection Areas (SPAs), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

  • Who are the statutory consultees for Ramsar?

    Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC)

  • Other than the statutory consultees who are the primary users of Ramsar? How do we expect them to use Ramsar?

    Developers/landowners/site promoter, LPAs, planning professionals

  • What are the planning needs for this data?

    Development near or within Ramsar sites requires careful assessment to ensure it doesn't negatively impact the site's ecological integrity. This involves evaluating potential direct and indirect effects, and if adverse effects are likely, projects may only proceed with "imperative reasons of overriding public interest" and appropriate compensatory measures.

    Local Plan policies will take into account the presence of ramsars sites, and allocate development accordingly. It may also be necessary to develop site ramsar plans, environmental impact assessments and habitat regulations assessments in order to protect and mitigate any impacts on ramsar sites.

  • Who are the types of users who might benefit from having access to Ramsar data?

    Developers/landowners/site promoter, LPAs, planning professionals

  • What are some potential uses of Ramsar data?

    Development near or within Ramsar sites requires careful assessment to ensure it doesn't negatively impact the site's ecological integrity. This involves evaluating potential direct and indirect effects, and if adverse effects are likely, projects may only proceed with "imperative reasons of overriding public interest" and appropriate compensatory measures.

    Local Plan policies will take into account the presence of ramsars sites, and allocate development accordingly. It may also be necessary to develop site ramsar plans, environmental impact assessments and habitat regulations assessments in order to protect and mitigate any impacts on ramsar sites.

  • What's the value of adding Ramsar data to the platform?

    Development near or within Ramsar sites requires careful assessment to ensure it doesn't negatively impact the site's ecological integrity. This involves evaluating potential direct and indirect effects, and if adverse effects are likely, projects may only proceed with "imperative reasons of overriding public interest" and appropriate compensatory measures.

    Local Plan policies will take into account the presence of ramsars sites, and allocate development accordingly. It may also be necessary to develop site ramsar plans, environmental impact assessments and habitat regulations assessments in order to protect and mitigate any impacts on ramsar sites.

  • From what we have learnt so far are there any risks to making Ramsar data available?

2 updates

  • Claire Miller (26 September 2024)

    As per some research we did, summarised in this blog on an analysis of local plans and local area requirements, we're confident that this consideration acts as an INPUT to the process of creating a local plan.

  • Kieran Wint (03 September 2024)

    As per the published dataset by Natural England on data.gov.uk, the frequency with which this data is updated is ad hoc.

Last updated: 2025-05-23 13:15:12