List of species and habitats of principal importance in England

Public bodies, including local authorities now have a legal duty to have regard to conserving biodiversity in the exercise of their normal functions.

[2][3] The species that have been designated to be of "principal importance for the purpose of conserving biodiversity" are those that are most threatened, in greatest decline, or where the UK holds a significant proportion of the world's total population.

Section 41 of that same Act of Parliament requires the Secretary of State to maintain and publish statutory lists of these features[1] - a function carried out on his/her behalf by Defra and Natural England.

Along with legally protected species, statutory and non-statutory sites, knowledge of their presence is required if the impact of future development is to be avoided or mitigated.

By fully considering all these features in the decision-making process, the planning authority will have demonstrated that it has discharged its duties to conserve biodiversity.