Regulatory statement: SSSI management from Glastir to the Habitat Wales Scheme in 2024 and 2025 to the Sustainable Farming Scheme 2026

This regulatory statement applies to any owner or occupier of land within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which will be entered into the Sustainable Farming Scheme in 2026 and who choose to continue managing the land in question in accordance with their Glastir Advanced Contract from 1 January 2026 provided that the land was also subject to all of the following: a Glastir Advanced Contract in 2023; a Habitat Wales Scheme contract in 2024 and a Habitat Wales Scheme contract in 2025.

Regulatory statement

This regulatory statement is valid until 1 January 2027 by which time it will be reviewed. You should check back at that time to ensure the Regulatory Statement is still valid.

This regulatory statement applies if all of the following apply:

• You are an owner or occupier of land within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
• The land was subject to a Glastir Advanced contract in 2023
• That Glastir Advanced contract has ended because it has reached the prescribed termination date
• The land was entered into the Habitat Wales Scheme 2024
• The land was entered into the Habitat Wales Scheme for 2025
• The land has been entered into the Sustainable Farming Scheme in 2026, and you have chosen to continuing managing in accordance with the Glastir Advanced contract of 2023.

NRW can withdraw or amend this regulatory statement before the review date if we consider it necessary. This includes where the activities that this Regulatory Statement relates to have not changed. 

SSSI consent to carry out management activities relating to your Glastir Advanced or Glastir Commons contract lapsed when the contract ended on 31 December 2023.

We issued a regulatory statement for 2025 which meant that, without having to obtain written consent from us, you were able to continue with the same management activities on a SSSI as part of the Habitat Wales Scheme for 2025.

This regulatory statement means that, without having to obtain written consent from us, you will be able to continue with the same management activities as specified in your Glastir Advanced contract on a SSSI from 1 January 2026.

Conditions you must comply with

• Management of the SSSI land will continue strictly in accordance with your most recent SSSI notice of intent and consent relating to a Glastir Advanced contract
• Before introducing any change to the management of the SSSI land, you must notify us and obtain a consent under Section 28E of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.  

Enforcement

This regulatory statement does not change your legal requirement to have a valid SSSI consent to undertake operations listed as an Operation Likely to Damage the Special Interest within the relevant SSSI(s) and which formed part of your Glastir Advanced or Glastir Commons contract in 2023.  

However, NRW will not normally take enforcement action if you do not comply with the need for SSSI consent if you meet the requirements in this regulatory statement. 

In addition, your activity must not cause (or be likely to cause) pollution of the environment or harm to human health, and must not:

• cause a risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals
• cause a nuisance through noise or odours
• adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest