Survey opportunity: Have your say in improving JNCC’s SAC and SPA data products.
Survey closes at 23:59 on Monday 19 May 2025.
Background
JNCC holds various data and information on the UK’s Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protected Areas (SPAs), which together form the UK National Site Network (NSN). We make this information publicly available through a range of products on the JNCC website. These products assist in a wide range of protected area work across multiple sectors.
We want to make sure that our NSN data products are as good as they can be to help you and others with your work. This means we need to ensure that we are providing the most useful NSN information, in the most useful format possible.
To investigate this, we have launched a survey aiming to improve our understanding of who uses our NSN products, what information they need, and what’s the best way of providing that information.
What is the National Site Network?
The National Site Network (NSN) is the name given to the combination of the UK’s Special Areas of Conversation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs). SACs and SPAs are areas designated for conservation under the Habitat Regulations. SACs and SPAs are both types of Protected Area. SACs are selected for the protection of certain habitat types and non-bird species present in the area, whereas SPAs are classified for the protection of birds. For more information on NSN sites, please see the relevant JNCC webpages.
What is JNCC’s role in the National Site Network?
JNCC is the only Statutory body for Nature at a UK level. We are responsible for advising the UK Government and devolved governments on aspects of the designation/classification and management of SACs and SPAs from a UK perspective. JNCC also has specific responsibilities for advising on the designation/classification and management of SACs and SPAs in the UK offshore area. Further information on JNCC's role regarding SACs and SPAs can be found on the JNCC website.
What are National Site Network data products?
JNCC creates and shares a range of information on the UK National Site Network via the JNCC website. This includes site specific information such as Standard Data forms and site spatial data, as well as wider UK level Network information such as the SAC and SPA site network summary tables. A list of JNCC’s NSN data products under investigation can be found below.
- Standard Data Forms (SDFs): PDF forms following the Natura 2000 data form format. This product is republished/updated only when the specific site is updated as part of the annual NSN update (see Insh Marshes SAC Standard Data Form as an example)
- Change log: An Excel spreadsheet providing detail of all changes made to NSN sites through the annual update process since 2021. This product is republished/updated once a year as part of the annual NSN update.
- Explanatory note: PDF providing a brief overview of which sites have been updated in the annual NSN update process. This product is published once a year as part of the annual NSN update.
- NSN site summary spreadsheet: Excel spreadsheet providing detailed information on each NSN site. This product is republished/updated once a year as part of the annual NSN update.
- NSN shapefiles (SACs, SPAs): Zip shapefile download of NSN site spatial information. This product is republished/updated once a year as part of the annual NSN update if any site has had a boundary update.
- Network summary tables (SACs, SPAs): Webpage table showing the number of NSN sites and total area of sites in the UK broken down by country.
- SAC database: A searchable web resource linking SAC sites and SAC features to site-level information
- General webpages (SACs, SPAs): Detail on site information; detail on condition and reporting; detail on latest changes to the NSN network; detail on site selection/classification; Sites with marine components
- SPA webpage information only: detail on SPA reviews; list of SPAs.
How can I get involved?
If you use any of the data products listed above, please complete our online survey to help us understand how we can improve our NSN products. Any changes made to our NSN information based on the outcomes of this survey will be clearly signposted on the JNCC website in due course.
The survey will close at 23:59 on Monday 19 May 2025.
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