Local nature reserves: setting up and management
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-18)

How local authorities can select a site, and then declare and manage it as a local nature reserve.

Nature reserves are managed areas of land that protect wildlife, habitats and natural features. They support scientific research and can provide educational and recreational opportunities. Appropriate management of nature reserves makes sure that recreation activities can take place in a way that does not harm the environment.

Nature reserves declared by local authorities are called local nature reserves. Town and parish councils can create local nature reserves if the district council has given them the power to do so. The local authority must control the local nature reserve land either:
- by owning it
- by leasing it
- through an agreement with the owner
Access to your local nature reserve

As a local authority managing a local nature reserve, you must care for and protect its natural features.

Local nature reserves should be open to the public, if public access will not cause damage or disturb wildlife. You can restrict access to some areas if visitors could cause damage, unless the public have statutory access rights.

Choosing a site

You should choose a site that is locally important for:
- wildlife
- geology
- education
- enjoyment (as long as it does not harm wildlife and supports other good reasons like learning or nature conservation)
Types of land

Many types of land can make suitable local nature reserves. They’re usually areas of natural green space, but the following types of land can also be local nature reserves if they have wildlife or geological interest:
- brownfield and artificial sites, such as historic cemeteries
- agricultural land and orchards
- commons and other accessible green spaces
How to declare a local nature reserve

Natural England is a statutory consultee under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6/12-13-14/97). This means that as a local authority you must consult Natural England when using your powers for local nature reserves.

Here are the steps you need to follow to declare a local nature reserve.

1. Pre-declaration consultation

You should email Natural England to say that you want to declare a local nature reserve. In this email, you should include a management plan detailing:
- ownership of the land
- any nature reserve agreements, leases or partnerships
- why the local nature reserve site was chosen
- aims and objectives
- biodiversity management and environmental education
- community participation, access and visitor management
- costs and funding arrangements
Your email should also include a boundary site map. This map must show the boundary of the local nature reserve aligned with or within the local authority’s legal ownership as recorded by the land registry. This should include a geographic information systems (GIS) shapefile. Send your email to Natural England xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

Natural England may request a site visit and other information if needed.

2. Declaration

Following consultation with Natural England, you should decide whether to declare a local nature reserve considering Natural England’s response and the relevant legislation. You can use this declaration document template (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a75ac4de5274a545822d53f/LNR-declaration.doc) (MS Word Document, 26 KB) which must be completed following your own processes for applying seals and authorised signatures or both.

3. After declaration

You should send a certified copy of the final declaration document to Natural England, as well as a:
- final copy of the boundary site map (including a GIS shapefile)
- final copy of the management plan
- copy of the public notice
- completed local nature reserve factsheet (provided by Natural England after consultation)
Once Natural England have received everything in the list above, they will add your local nature reserve to the Designated Sites View website (https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/) which provides information about local nature reserves to the public.

4. Announce your local nature reserve

You should put an advert announcing the local nature reserve in a local newspaper. You can use this sample notice (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7d5276ed915d321c2de59d/LNR-public-notice.doc) (MS Word Document, 25 KB). Let the public inspect the declaration and boundary site map free of charge. You can hold an official opening ceremony once you have formally declared your local nature reserve.

Manage your local nature reserve

You can run local nature reserves independently or you can involve:
- ‘friends of’ community groups
- wildlife trusts and other recognised conservation bodies
- site-based rangers
- local school children
- Natural England (who can give advice)
Byelaws

Local authorities and town and parish councils can create local nature reserve byelaws.

Byelaws can help you stop people damaging your local nature reserve, for example, preventing visitors walking into areas where they could harm wildlife. Before you create byelaws, you should have tried other ways to keep your local nature reserve safe and its wildlife protected. You can fine people if they break your byelaws.

Byelaws can only be enforced within the local nature reserve. They must not replicate existing laws. You must have formally declared your local nature reserve to Natural England or your byelaws will be invalid.

How to create byelaws

Here are the steps you should follow to create byelaws.
- Use this model to draft your byelaws (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a75a5f5ed915d506ee806c2/LNR-byelaws-model.doc) (MS Word Document, 36 KB), making sure that they are tailored to your site. Ask Natural England to review your draft byelaws. Get in touch with your local Natural England contact or email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).
- Send your draft byelaws, with Natural England’s feedback, to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, at xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx). You should include a colour map of your site and a cover letter explaining why you need byelaws. For example, describe other ways you’ve tried to prevent damage to your site.
- You must advertise your byelaws in local newspapers using this public notice template (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a81dff740f0b62305b91468/lnr-byelaws-notice.doc) (MS Word Document, 27 KB) for at least a month before applying for confirmation. If any member of the public raises concerns, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs will send them to you to consider.
- Fix the common seal to the byelaws. If you have not got a common seal, 2 named councillors must authorise the sealing of the byelaws.
- Authorise the named officer, for example clerk to the parish, to apply to the Secretary of State for confirmation.
- Get confirmation from the Secretary of State.
- Keep 2 identical signed and sealed originals of the byelaws confirmed by the Secretary of State. Only minor changes are allowed after confirmation and they should be initialled by whoever sealed it.
Help with byelaws

Email your draft byelaws or questions to xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) or write to:

Local Nature Reserve Byelaws Case OfficerHorizon House (2nd Floor)Deanery RoadBristolBS1 5AH

Control dogs on your local nature reserve

You can also put a dog control order (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dog-control-orders) in place to:
- ban or restrict the number of dogs
- make visitors clear up their dog mess
- keep dogs on leads
Amending a local nature reserve boundary

Extensions or boundary changes of an existing local nature reserve follow the same procedure as declarations. If the site has existing byelaws, they must also be amended to reflect the boundary changes.

The local authority that declared the local nature reserve is responsible for making decisions about changes to the boundary of the local nature reserve. The local authority must consult Natural England on the amendment of the boundaries.

The process for amending a local nature reserve boundary may require a combination of declaration (where land is taken into the local nature reserve) and revoking the declaration (where land is removed from the local nature reserve).

The local authority may combine these as a single, co-ordinated exercise, and consult with Natural England on both processes as part of the overall proposed boundary change. Get in touch with your local Natural England contact or email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

The local authority should prepare a formal (legal) declaration to revoke the declaration document (this need only be one side of A4 paper) accompanied by a local nature reserve map. The map should be to scale and accurately show the new and existing local nature reserve boundaries aligned with, or within the local authority’s legal ownership as recorded by the land registry.

Once the relevant local authority committees agree the boundary changes, the formal document should be signed according to the local authority’s approved procedures for authorised signatures. This document should be sent, along with a boundary site map to your local Natural England contact or email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx). Natural England can then update their local nature reserve records as necessary.

Revoke a local nature reserve

If you need to reclaim your land, you must revoke its declaration as a local nature reserve. Only the local authority that made the declaration can do this. The first step is to get in touch with your local Natural England contact or email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

You should only revoke your local nature reserve declaration if it is necessary. For example, the land will be lost due to a road-widening scheme. If your local nature reserve becomes a national nature reserve (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-nature-reserves-in-england) then it’s declaration as a local nature reserve will be revoked.

Contact us

For general enquires about local nature reserves, not answered on this page, contact us by:

Email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)Telephone: xx-xxxx-xxxx

Local authorities with an enquiry about a declared local nature reserve (including boundary amendments and discrepancies) can contact us by:

Email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) Telephone: xx-xxxx-xxxx