Designated areas of wildlife and landscape

Special Landscape Areas map

Download a map of local designations of Special Landscape Areas in Suffolk (JPG, 614KB).

Special Landscape Areas are identified in District Council Planning Policy and have been designated locally because of their landscape sensitivity and scenic quality.

Find more information about them in the relevant district council planning policy documents.

County wildlife sites

County Wildlife Sites are identified by the County Wildlife Site Panel for their wildlife value based on specific criteria.

This is a non-statutory designation used to ensure that important habitats are recognised in planning and land management decisions.

More information can be found about these sites and how they're identified from the Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service.

Special Landscape Areas map

Download the map of national designations of Special Landscape areas in Suffolk (JPG, 582KB).

The Broads and the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are nationally important landscapes of the highest importance.

More information is available at:

• Suffolk Coasts and Heaths
• Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Project
• Broads Authority

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

Sites of Special Scientific Interest are designated by Natural England and are of at least national importance as the best examples of wildlife habitats. More information can be found at GOV.UK. 

National Nature Reserves

National Nature Reserves (NNR) were established to protect some of our most important habitats, species and geology, and to provide ‘outdoor laboratories’ for research.

Most NNRs offer opportunities to schools, specialist interest groups and the public to experience wildlife at first hand and to learn more about nature conservation.

Natural England manages about two thirds of England’s NNRs, while the remaining are managed by organisations approved by Natural England including the:

• National Trust
• Forestry Commission
• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
• Suffolk Wildlife Trust

More information about NNRs is available on GOV.UK.

Special Landscape Areas map

Download the map of international and European designations of Special Landscape areas in Suffolk (JPG, 457KB)

Special Protection Areas, e.g. birds and Special Areas of Conservation e.g. habitats are good examples of sites for specific habitats or particular species of birds, that're threatened or valuable within the European Union

Protecting wetlands

The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.