Biodiversity Enhancement Areas

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The Region’s Biodiversity Enhancement Areas cover some of our best known concentrations of wildlife, such as the Shropshire Hills, Cannock Chase, and the Malvern Hills. They include both urban and remote rural areas, and range in size from a few parishes, such as the Woolhope Dome in Herefordshire, to the extensive upland habitats of the Staffordshire Moorlands on the edge of the Peak District National Park. 

Following publication of the Regional Spatial Strategy work was undertaken to describe the contribution that the Biodiversity Enhancement Areas make to regional biodiversity.

Where are they?

Biodiversity Enhancement Areas contain important concentrations of biodiversity. For example, they cover 25% of the Region but hold 70% of the Sites of Special Scientific Interest, 86% of the upland and lowland heathland, and 72% of the unimproved grassland. This makes them ideal places in which to develop an area based approach for wildlife. 

The area based approach should be tailored to the needs of each Biodiversity Enhancement Area, but could include:

  • buffering habitats from adverse impacts,
  • restoring, re-creating, expanding and linking habitats.  

The Region's BEAs are shown on the map below.

Biodiversity Enhancement Areas complement the range of policy and delivery measures that protect and enhance biodiversity across protected sites and the wider environment. It is one of the approaches given priority within the Regional Spatial Strategy along with those for specific species and habitats identified in Biodiversity Action Plans, Strategic River Corridors and measures to ensure that the Region reaches or exceeds its share of the UKBAP targets.

The BEAs approach is still being developed and the benefits will take time to be fully realised, however the approach is now being developed further through the Landscapes for Living project and the Regional Opportunity Map.  Written profile for each BEA have been prepared provide basic information on the wildlife value of each area. 

Further information includes

a detailed (technical) explanation of the data analysis work is available as the BEA Guide. 

Technical Guidance Note explaining the role of BEAs as part of the implementation of regional environment policy.

Consultation Report outlining the results of the consultation.The report can be downloaded here.