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Adonis blue butterfly
(Polyommatus bellargus) ©JM Patmore
Acknowledgement: Kindly supported by the John Patmore Trust and the Diane Hudson Discretionary Trust
Brighton Wildlife Trust
Brighton Wildlife is a non-profit website promoting local biodiversity and the natural world.
This page lists the most important areas for nature across Brighton and Hove Unitary Authority Area.
It is extraordinarily difficult for most people to find and access this essential information on-line. A small number of professionals keep their own copies of this information, but do not make it simple to access.
These areas are formally named ‘Wildlife Sites’ or ‘Geological Sites’; and there is a hierarchy reflecting their importance in terms of national environmental commitments (refer to Environment Act 2021). The strength or weight they receive in planning protection terms usually links to their ‘importance’.
However, for most people it is their local field, hedge or woodland which is important. Often planning applications on wildlife areas generates a strong reaction from local people. All too often they are unable to oppose the application due to a lack of knowledge or basic information about the nature features found in the area they love.
Having described the background above it is important to remember that a local site which is important to you is worth protecting and understanding more about. The hierarchy below is simply a way of arranging the information.
LOOK AFTER YOUR LOCAL NATURE SITES! Once they are gone they will not return.
Site Categories
International Sites: There is one main site at Castle Hill, This is a Special Area Of Conservation (SAC) selected for its rare unimproved chalk grassland habitat and associated species.
National Sites: Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) are selected for their habitats, particular species or geological features. They are notified and administered by Natural England
Local Nature Reserves (LNR): A category which is selected by the Local Authority. In theory the Council is supposed to maintain LNRs; but this can be patchy especially with staff changes and restricted budgets.
Local Sites: See MAP Below, and maximize window! They are also selected by the Local Authority. In Brighton and Hove we had over one hundred sites selected for wildlife and six for their geological or geomorphological importance. They are now labeled, following National advice as ‘Local Wildlife Sites’ (LWS) and ‘Local Geological Sites’ (LGS) In the 1990s they were also termed SNCI or the unglamorous acronym SINC.
Finally, there are Green Spaces Often these will be areas which are important for local people to visit and enjoy. They may not have significant wildlife interest; especially when mowed on a fortnightly basis to within an inch of their life!
Last Updated: April 2025
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