WIREDGOV

The formal public consultation on plans to extend the protection given to seabirds at Flamborough Head to adjacent areas is coming to a close in three weeks.

Natural England, the Government’s statutory nature conservation adviser, is issuing a reminder to ensure members of the public and organisations take the opportunity to have their say.

The formal public consultation on the proposal to extend the existing Special Protection Area (pSPA) at Flamborough Head and Bempton Cliffs and rename it as the Flamborough and Filey Coast SPA closes on 14 April after 12 weeks.

At the same time we are consulting on proposals to revise the landward boundary of the existing Flamborough Head Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Together the sites protect internationally important species and habitats on the Yorkshire coast between Bridlington and Scarborough.

The cliffs at Flamborough Head support internationally important numbers of breeding seabirds. Recent counts at Flamborough Head and further north at Filey reveal that over 215,000 individual seabirds are present during the breeding season and that the area supports important populations of:

• Black-legged kittiwake

• Northern gannet

• Common guillemot 

• Razorbill 

• Northern fulmar

The extension along the coastline between Filey Brigg and Cunstone Nab will bring large bird colonies currently outside the boundary of the SPA under protection for the first time. The new extensions 2km out to sea from the existing SPA and from the cliffs at Filey are important as these waters support high densities of seabirds, which use them for a range of activities including preening and bathing.

Natural England is also proposing to bring the boundary of the SPA further inland to ensure the site continues to protect the features in the face of likely coastal change in the future. We will also be proposing revision of the landward boundary of the Flamborough Head Special Area of Conservation which protects important terrestrial and marine habitats of the area, again to make sure that the interest features of this site remain protected into the future.

The purpose of the current consultation is to seek the views of all interested parties on the scientific case for these proposals. Natural England also welcomes relevant information from stakeholders to help assess the likely economic, environmental and social impacts of the proposals.

Further information, such as the consultation document, maps etc can be found on Natural England’s web site.

The consultation will end at midday on Monday 14 April 2014. Afterwards, during 2014, Natural England will report to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the responses received during the consultation, and submit the final site recommendation and impact assessment.

Once the Government has taken all consultation responses into account, it will decide whether to classify the site as a SPA. Natural England is also currently reviewing the features and the boundaries of the Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the area.

ENDS

 Notes to editors:

• Natural England is working as the Government’s statutory nature conservation advisor to identify and propose suitable marine areas to add to the network of Special Protection Areas.

• Special Protection Areas are areas classified under Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds. Collectively these sites form a network of Special Protection Areas to protect birds across Europe. This protection is largely in place on land and we’re now catching up on protecting birds utilising the marine environment. Some of these birds migrate thousands of miles and their feeding and stop off points are therefore protected all along the route.

• All relevant documents can be found on the consultation page including:
  Flamborough and Filey Coast pSPA - an overview map and a series of more detailed maps, the citation, departmental brief submitted to Defra which contains the detailed scientific evidence supporting the pSPA, and the site rationale.
  
  Flamborough Head pSAC - the Selection Assessment document, an overview map and detailed maps.
  
  Relevant documents for the impact assessment, an online survey and a response form which should be completed and emailed to northernnorthseaspa@naturalengland.org.uk or sent by post.

• Up to 215,000 individual birds have been recorded at Flamborough during the breeding season including:
  Northern gannet – a UK amber-listed bird of conservation concern. Gannets Morus bassanus are widely distributed in English seas during winter, but Bempton Cliffs is the only breeding colony in England. The Seabird 2000 census estimated 59% of the global population of gannets nested in the UK with 226,500 apparently occupied nests. Their typical lifespan is 17 years, but they can live up to 37 years. For more information please see this leaflet TIN122

• Northern fulmar - Also known as fulmar Fulmarus glacialis northern fulmars are a regularly occurring migratory bird in Europe. They are 40-50 cm long with a wingspan of 102 -112 cm. The oldest reported individual was over 50 years old, and the typical lifespan may be around 44 years. It is a UK amber-listed bird of conservation concern. The majority of UK birds breed in north and west Scotland. The English breeding population is estimated as 6,291 apparently occupied sites. For more information please download this leaflet TIN126

• Razorbill - Razorbills Alca torda are a regularly occurring migratory bird species in Europe. They are 37– 39 cm long with a wingspan of 63-68 cm. Their typical lifespan is 13 years and the oldest reported individual was over 41 years old. Razorbills are a UK amber-listed bird of conservation concern. In England, razorbills breed on coasts and islands in the north and south-west. The largest English colony is at Flamborough Head and Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire. Leaflet TIN124

• Common guillemot - The common guillemot Uria aalge is a regularly occurring migratory bird in Europe. It is between 38 and 41 cm long with a wingspan of 64-70 cm. The typical lifespan is 21 years, although the oldest reported individual was over 31 years. It is an amber-listed bird of conservation concern. Leaflet TIN123

• Black legged kittiwake - The black-legged kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla, is a regularly occurring migratory bird in Europe. Also known simply as the kittiwake, it is between 38 and 40 cm long with a wingspan of 95 – 120 cm. The typical lifespan is 20 years, although birds have been reported to live up to 28 years. It is a UK amber-listed bird of conservation concern. Most of the UK population breeds in northern Scotland and along the North Sea coast south to Flamborough Head, which holds the largest colony in the UK. Leaflet TIN128 Images of birds available from the press office by request.

For more information please contact: Heather Duncan, press officer, Natural England heather.duncan@naturalengland.org.uk / 0300 060 0555 / 07775 410 141/ www.naturalengland.org.uk