This spatial dataset contains the digital boundaries of all Special Protection Areas (SPAs) in Wales. The EC Birds Directive of 1979 requires member states to establish SPAs to conserve the habitats of two categories of birds:
i) Species which are rare or vulnerable, of which there are forty-eight in the UK.
ii) Some migratory species which visit our shores regularly.

SPAs in Wales are identified by NRW, in conjunction with the UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee, and designated by the First Minister for the Welsh Assembly Government. These sites are also protected through being Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). The 1994 Conservation Regulations also provide a means of protecting such areas at sea. SPAs together with SACs will contribute to a European Union network of protected sites to be known as 'Natura 2000' (N2K sites). SPAs have been designated over a number of years, from 1982 to the present day, and are on-going. The data has been held digitally since the mid1990s.

Attribution statement

Contains Natural Resources Wales information © Natural Resources Wales and Database Right. All rights Reserved. Contains Ordnance Survey Data. Ordnance Survey Licence number AC0000849444. Crown Copyright and Database Right.

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Attributes (29)

Attribute name Label Description
OBJECTID
SPA_Name
SPA_code
CLASS_DATE
CART_AREA
Riv_length
CentreX
CentreY
LONG
LAT
Map_Scale
PROJECTION
Vector
Code
Version
Edit_Date
User_id
LONG_DMS
LAT_DMS
NGR
REG_AREA
Off_Data
SPHER_AREA
ISIS_ID
Centre_X
Centre_Y
METADATA
GlobalID
fme_geometry

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Type:
Spatial data
Category:
Environment

Environmental resources, protection and conservation. Examples: environmental pollution, waste storage and treatment, environmental impact assessment, monitoring environmental risk, nature reserves, landscape

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Licence:
Open Government Licence for Public Sector Information (OGL)

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Copyright:

None

Keywords:
features, NRW_SPA
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Language
English