PART 2Conservation of Natural Habitats and Habitats of Species

Management agreements

Existing agreements21

1

For the purposes of these Regulations, any agreement made before 30th November 2017 in relation to land in England or Wales which on or after that date becomes land within a European site, or adjacent to such a site, being an agreement made under—

a

section 16 of the 1949 Act (agreements for management of nature reserves) M1,

b

section 15 of the Countryside Act 1968 (areas of special scientific interest) M2, or

c

section 7 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (management agreements) M3,

has effect as from the date on which the land becomes land within a European site as if it were a management agreement entered into by Natural England or the Natural Resources Body for Wales (as the case may be) under regulation 20.

2

Any other thing done or deemed to have been done under—

a

any provision of Part 3 of the 1949 Act (nature conservation), or Part 6 of that Act (general, financial and supplementary) so far as it applies for the purposes of Part 3, or

b

section 15 of the Countryside Act 1968,

in respect of any land prior to that land becoming land within a European site, or adjacent to such a site, continues to have effect as if done under the corresponding provision of these Regulations.

3

Any reference in a relevant enactment to a nature reserve within the meaning of section 15 of the 1949 Act (meaning of “nature reserve”) M4 is to be construed as including a reference to a European site.

4

In paragraph (3), “relevant enactment” means an enactment not contained in, or in an instrument made under, the 1949 Act or the WCA 1981.