50% of SSSI Features on Track for Favourable Condition by 2030
Commitment: Get 50% of SSSI (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) features into favourable or recovering condition by December 2030. Environment Act 2021 statutory target.
Owner: Defra / Natural England
Target date: 31 December 2030
Metric: % of SSSI features assessed by Natural England as being in favourable condition or recovering toward it.
Status: at-risk
Baseline
SSSIs cover approximately 8% of England’s land area — around 4,100 sites. As of 2024 EIP progress reporting, only approximately 38% of SSSI features were in favourable or recovering condition. The 2030 target of 50% requires a significant acceleration from the baseline trend.
Key pressures on SSSI condition
- Agricultural runoff: Nutrient pollution (nitrogen, phosphorus) from surrounding farmland damages water-dependent SSSIs. See defra-agri-water-quality-40pct-2038 and target-delivery-plans.
- Development pressures: Road traffic, urbanisation, and fragmentation of SSSI sites
- Climate change: Drought, flooding, and temperature shifts affecting SSSI habitats
- Invasive species: Biosecurity threats to native species on designated sites
Delivery mechanisms
- Natural England condition assessments and site management agreements with landowners
- ELM higher-tier Countryside Stewardship agreements on SSSI land
- EA enforcement of water quality obligations affecting water-dependent SSSIs
- BNG: new development must not harm SSSIs; NRF can fund SSSI condition improvement
Delivery history
- [2021] Environment Act: statutory target set
- [January 2025] EIP 2025: reaffirms target; OEP annual progress assessment flagged condition improvement is off-track
- [December 2025] PIA 2025: mandatory BNG for NSIPs from May 2026
Tensions
- housing-biodiversity — Development near SSSI boundaries requires BNG assessment
- clean-power-marine-environment — Marine SSSIs affected by offshore infrastructure