Phased, extended and subsumed SPAs

 

The UK SPA network has developed over two decades.  Because of improved knowledge of bird distribution and other factors, some sites have been enlarged, whilst others have been classified progressively.  This Appendix explains the UK approach to phased classifications, subsumed sites and extended sites.

'Subsumed' sites

Some early SPAs have been significantly extended.  As the Birds Directive contains no provision for de-classification, however, it has not been possible to declassify a small site simultaneously with the classification of the extended, surrounding area.  Some SPAs have therefore been 'double designated'; that is, the area of the original classification has been included within the new extended site classification.  In such cases, care has been taken to avoid double counting the areas, and bird populations, for both reporting purposes and in this review.

 

This approach has been adopted for the following SPAs:

 

•       Alt Estuary [UK9005102] 28 November 1985 (now part of the Ribble and Alt Estuaries);
•       Derwent Ings [UK9006091] 17 July 1985 (now part of Lower Derwent Valley);
•       Feur Lochain [UK9003056] 25 April 1990, and Glac na Criche [UK9003055] 25 April 1990 (both now parts of Rinns of Islay);
•       Lochs Druidibeg, a' Machair [UK9001081] 31 August 1982 (now part of South Uist Machair and Lochs):
•       Old Hall Marshes [UK9009241] 11 March 1992 (now part of Blackwater Estuary);
•       OrfordnessHavergate [UK9009111] 31 August 1982 (now part of AldeOre Estuary);
•       Ribble Estuary [UK9005101] 31 August 1982 (now part of the Ribble and Alt Estuaries);
•       River Crouch Marshes [UK9009244] 24 March 1995 (now part of Crouch and Roach Estuaries (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 3)),
•       Rockcliffe Marsh [UK9005011] 1 October 1986 (now part of Upper Solway Flats and Marshes);
•       Moor House [UK9006271] 31 August 1982 (now part of North Pennine Moors),
•       Swan Island [UK9020041] 11 March 1992 (now part of Larne Lough); and
•       the Upper Severn Estuary [UK9015021] 5 February 1988 (now part of the Severn Estuary).

 

Extended sites

 

A number of early SPAs (until about 1986) were based on sites within public ownership i.e. National Nature Reserves.  These early classifications also focused on areas supporting large numbers of birds, rather than an analysis of species' needs.  Such sites included Moor House, Rum, Skomer and the Ribble Estuary (1982), Derwent Ings and the Farne Islands (1985), and Grassholm and Rockcliffe Marshes (1986).  In some cases the boundaries of these early designations related rather more to land tenure, than to the ecological requirements of the birds.  These early SPAs have since been extended to more accurately reflect the ornithological interest.  For example, the 117 ha OrfordnessHavergate SPA (1982) now lies within the 2,417 ha AldeOre Estuary SPA (1996), and the 1,897 ha Rockcliffe Marshes SPA now forms part of the 30,706 ha Upper Solway Flats and Marshes (1992). 

 

This approach has been adopted where small initial classifications have subsequently been subject to major revision and enlargement.  A different approach has been adopted where relatively small areas have been added to large original SPAs.  In such circumstances the extensions have been treated, for reporting purposes, as part of the original classification.

Phased sites

Another approach has been adopted for a small number of very large sites which are ecologically a single entity, but where their sheer size has made the classification process too complex.  These sites have been sub-divided into a number of separate phases that have been classified separately.  Alternatively, some sites have been listed as phases where they are small, and perhaps widely separated, but have a very strong ecological connectivity or similarities. 

 

Ballochbuie, Scotland	Two phases: 12 June 1998 & 16 December 1998
Caithness Lochs, Scotland	Two phases: 1 February 1998 & 13 October 2000
Humber Estuary Flats and Marshes, England	Phase 1:  28 July 1994 Phase 2:  due in 2001
Lochnagar, Scotland	Two phases: 12 June 1998 & 16 December 1998
Mid-Essex Coast, Essex	Phase 1:  Dengie  24 March 1994
	Phase 2:  Colne Estuary  28 July 1994
	Phase 3:  Crouch and Roach Estuaries 24 March 1995 and 22 July 1998
	Phase 4:  Blackwater Estuary  12 May 1995
	Phase 5:  Foulness  4 October 1996
North Uist Machair and Islands, Scotland	Phase 1:  29 March 1999 Phase 2:  13 October 2000
Ribble and Alt Estuaries, England	Phase 1:  separate classifications of the Ribble Estuary   31 August 1982; and Alt Estuary   28 November 1985 Phase 2:  Ribble and Alt Estuaries  16 February 1995 [Ribble and Alt Estuaries extension due in 2001]
Rinns of Islay, Scotland	Feur Lochain  25 April 1990 Glac na Criche  25 April 1990 Rinns of Islay  27 November 1995
South Pennine Moors, England	Phase 1:  Peak District Moors (South Pennine Moors phase 1)  29 March 1996 Phase 2:  South Pennine Moors  26 June 1997 [South Pennine Moors extension  30 November 2000]
South Uist Machair and Lochs, Scotland	Loch Druidibeg, Loch a' Machair & Loch Stilligary  31 August 1982 South Uist Machair and Lochs  1 December 1997
The Wash, England	Phase 1:  The Wash  30 March 1988
	Phase 2:  Gibraltar Point  5 March 1993
Wealden Heaths, England	Phase 1:  Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons (Wealden Heaths phase 1)  14 February 1994 Phase 2:  Wealden Heaths  16 March 1998