Conserving geodiversity is part of nature
conservation, which has been defined as ‘the
protection, preservation, management or
enhancement, and the improvement of understanding
and appreciation of flora, fauna and geological
and geomorphological features'.’
Official and statutory geo-conservation
statutory conservation of geological and
geomorphological features is part of the remit
National Nature Reserves and
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).
The region has one national Park (The Broads)
and 48 NRs. There are 573 SSSIs in the region,
of which 111 have been designated primarily for
there geodiversity interest under the
Geological Conservation Review (GCR)
process. The breakdown across the region may be
seen in this
The GCR classifies sites
according to their main features or ‘blocks’ of
geodiversity interest. Some sites are cited for
interest in more than one category. The region
is particularly important for the Earth heritage
of the Quaternary period (the last 1.8 million
years), particularly the evolution of vertebrate
species and the development of East Anglia and
the ancestral River Thames. The breakdown across
the region may be seen in this
European Landscape Convention (ELC) of the
Council of Europe was signed by the UK
government in 2006, and has added a new type of
landscape dimension to geodiversity
conservation. It promotes the identification of
diverse, perceived landscapes and, through
understanding and valuing them, developing
landscape quality objectives for public policy.
There is an emphasis on public participation in
landscape conservation and management. 'The
public is encouraged to take an active part in
its protection, conserving and maintaining the
heritage value of a particular landscape, in its
management, helping to steer changes brought
about by economic, social or environmental
necessity, and in its planning' (Presentation
text). While the long-term impact of the ELC is
not yet clear, it provides a new context for
landscape conservation in Britain, and hence the
East of England region.
Geo-conservation is embedded in government planning policy
through Planning Policy Statement 9 : Biodiversity and
(PPS9), which views
it as part of a policy drive towards sustainable development,
nature conservation and social renewal. It says regional and
local planning authority policies should attach ‘appropriate
weight’ to designated sites and also ‘geological interests
in the wider environment’. It states that regional planning
bodies should liaise with the British Geological Survey and
local RIGS groups on geodiversity issues such as provision of
baseline geodiversity information. The associated
Guide to Good Practice
preparation of the Regional Spatial Strategy should
be informed by this stakeholder dialogue and should be aligned
with regional geodiversity strategies and objectives where these exist.
Geological conservation should be an integral part of the regional
spatial vision, as part of sustainable development. Other Planning
Policy documents are relevant to geo-conservation, including Planning
Policy Guidance 16: Archaeology and Planning, and Minerals Planning
Guidance 7: Reclamation of Mineral Workings.
2. Voluntary geo-conservation
The non-statutory conservation of geodiversity sites
is mainly carried out under the Regionally Important
Geological / geomorphological Site
scheme. RIGS fall under the category of non-statutory
'Local Sites’, but the network is not yet
fully extended across the country. RIGS are treated by
PPS9 under a category of Regional and Local Sites.
Although RIGS enjoy no legal protection many local
authorities give them conservation status in their
planning policies such as Local Development Framework
(LDF) and Minerals & Waste Development Framework documents.
An opportunity exists to include baseline geodiversity indicators
in the Sustainability Appraisal process which is part of the LDF
process. The condition of RIGS may be adopted by local
authorities as an indicator of natural environmental
protection under the local authority performance
NI 197: Biodiversity.
Non-statutory geo-conservation may also be an important part of
landscape designations such as the AONBs and Heritage Coasts in England.
Important landowning organisations such as the National Trust and the Wildlife
Trusts are examples of conservation organisations which routinely protect
geodiversity as part of their remit. Many local landowners conserve geodiversity
on their land as part of enhancement of landscape, habitat and historic features.
Natural England’s Environmental Stewardship Scheme contains measures
which may support the conservation of local geodiversity features, for example
maintaining and enhancing landscape quality and character, and protecting the
historic environment and natural resources.
Local Geodiversity Action Plans
(LGAPs) provide an important framework
for geodiversity conservation at a local level. The concept was first proposed by
English Nature in 2001 and modelled on the successful Biodiversity Action Plan format.
LGAPs aim to provide a sustainable framework for regional and local geo-conservation in
defined areas, involving a wide range of partners to ensure local support for their
objectives. The LGAP process is gathering momentum across Britain. As at 2007, 27 LGAPs
had been launched or were in development, covering areas such as counties, AONBs and
National Parks, and at least three mineral aggregate companies were preparing GAPs of
their own; GAPS are currently in preparation in Norfolk and Suffolk. A national
is at an advanced draft stage, to provide a national framework for geodiversity conservation.
Typically, a GAP will
audit the geodiversity resources of a given area,
plan the conservation and management of its Earth heritage resources,
promote geodiversity in the policy and practice of local agencies and organisations,isations,
promote geodiversity awareness through education and communication, and
sustain the LGAP process by securing ongoing resources for its implementation.
GAPs are currently (March 2009) under development in four counties of the East of England
region (Beds, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk).
3. Linking geodiversity, biodiversity and landscape
While much effort has been put into biodiversity conservation in
Britain over the last two decades, geodiversity conservation has
until lately been a poor relation. However the linkage between geodiversity,
biodiversity and landscape is being increasingly recognised and promoted at a
national level (English Nature 2004). In 2006 English Nature, the Countryside
Agency and DEFRA’s Rural Development Service jointly published
‘Natural Foundations: Geodiversity for
People, Places and Nature’ as a step towards
an integrated approach to environmental conservation by linking biodiversity,
landscape and human life. This linkage is reflected in the
Areas programme of Natural England, which is taking a strategic, landscape-scale
approach. This is based on the
Natural Areas concept developed by English Nature
in the 1990s. This linkage also has an international dimension through the vision
and policies of the European Landscape Convention. The East of England Geodiversity
Partnership is using money from the implementation of the ELC to develop its
East project, to interpret the importance of the Cretaceous chalk to the region’s
landscape, biodiversity, economy and culture.
4. Practical geo-conservation
For more information about the practical side of geodiversity conservation see the
Practical Geo-conservation page.