Penwith Moors SSSI Notification Consultation Response

The CLA has responded to Natural England’s consultation on the designation of Penwith Moors as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Natural England have notified an area of more than 3000 hectares, including semi-natural habitat and farm land, to be designated as a SSSI in Summer 2023.

The CLA has concerns over the legality of the designation process, particularly around the use of flawed evidence to support the designation. The CLA believes that the process of designating an area, supplying land managers with a generic list of actions which could be banned, and waiting until the designation begins to clarify what they will and will not be able to do is unreasonable, and makes it impossible for the land managers to plan for the future.