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Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Status:

This is the original version (as it was originally enacted).

  1. Introductory Text

  2. PART I Wildlife

    1. Protection of birds

      1. 1.Protection of wild birds, their nests and eggs

      2. 2.Exceptions to s. 1

      3. 3.Areas of special protection

      4. 4.Exceptions to ss. 1 and 3

      5. 5.Prohibition of certain methods of killing or taking wild birds

      6. 6.Sale etc. of live or dead wild birds, eggs etc.

      7. 7.Registration etc. of certain captive wild birds

      8. 8.Protection of captive birds

    2. Protection of other animals

      1. 9.Protection of certain wild animals

      2. 10.Exceptions to s. 9

      3. 11.Prohibition of certain methods of killing or taking wild animals

      4. 12.Protection of certain mammals

    3. Protection of plants

      1. 13.Protection of wild plants

    4. Miscellaneous

      1. 14.Introduction of new species etc.

      2. 15.Endangered species (import and export)

    5. Supplemental

      1. 16.Power to grant licences

      2. 17.False statements made for obtaining registration or licence etc.

      3. 18.Attempts to commit offences etc.

      4. 19.Enforcement

      5. 20.Summary prosecutions

      6. 21.Penalties, forfeitures etc.

      7. 22.Power to vary Schedules

      8. 23.Advisory bodies and their functions

      9. 24.Functions of Nature Conservancy Council

      10. 25.Functions of local authorities

      11. 26.Regulations, orders, notices etc.

      12. 27.Interpretation of Part I

  3. PART II Nature Conservation, Countryside and National Parks

    1. Nature conservation

      1. 28.Areas of special scientific interest

      2. 29.Special protection for certain areas of special scientific interest

      3. 30.Compensation where order is made under s. 29

      4. 31.Restoration where order under s. 29 is contravened

      5. 32.Duties of agriculture Ministers with respect to areas of special scientific interest

      6. 33.Ministerial guidance as respects areas of special scientific interest

      7. 34.Limestone pavement orders

      8. 35.National nature reserves

      9. 36.Marine nature reserves

      10. 37.Byelaws for protection of marine nature reserves

      11. 38.Grants and loans by Nature Conservancy Council

    2. Countryside

      1. 39.Management agreements with owners and occupiers of land

      2. 40.Experimental schemes

      3. 41.Duties of agriculture Ministers with respect to the countryside

    3. National Parks

      1. 42.Notification of agricultural operations on moor and heath in National Parks

      2. 43.Maps of National Parks showing certain areas of moor or heath

      3. 44.Grants and loans for purposes of National Parks

      4. 45.Power to vary order designating National Park

      5. 46.Membership of National Park authorities

    4. Miscellaneous and supplemental

      1. 47.Provisions with respect to the Countryside Commission

      2. 48.Duties of water authorities etc. with respect to nature conservation and the countryside

      3. 49.Extension of power to appoint wardens

      4. 50.Payments under certain agreements offered by authorities

      5. 51.Powers of entry

      6. 52.Interpretation of Part II

  4. PART III Public Rights of Way

    1. Ascertainment of public rights of way

      1. 53.Duty to keep definitive map and statement under continuous review

      2. 54.Duty to reclassify roads used as public paths

      3. 55.No further surveys or reviews under the 1949 Act

      4. 56.Effect of definitive map and statement

      5. 57.Supplementary provisions as to definitive maps and statements

      6. 58.Application of ss. 53 to 57 to inner London

    2. Miscellaneous and supplemental

      1. 59.Prohibition on keeping bulls on land crossed by public rights of way

      2. 60.Regulation of traffic on public rights of way

      3. 61.Ploughing of public rights of way

      4. 62.Appointment of wardens for public rights of way

      5. 63.Orders creating, extinguishing or diverting footpaths and bridleways

      6. 64.Publication of dedication of footpaths and bridleways

      7. 65.Signposting of byways open to all traffic

      8. 66.Interpretation of Part III

  5. PART IV Miscellaneous and General

    1. 67.Application to Crown

    2. 68.Application to the Isles of Scilly

    3. 69.Offences by bodies corporate etc.

    4. 70.Financial provisions

    5. 71.General interpretation

    6. 72.Minor amendments

    7. 73.Repeals and savings

    8. 74.Short title, commencement and extent

  6. SCHEDULES

    1. SCHEDULE 1

      Birds which are Protected by Special Penalties

      1. PART I At All Times

      2. PART II During the Close Season

    2. SCHEDULE 2

      Birds Which May Be Killed or Taken

      1. PART I Outside the Close Season

      2. PART II By Authorised Persons at all Times

    3. SCHEDULE 3

      Birds which may be Sold

      1. PART I Alive at all Times if Ringed and Bred in Captivity

      2. PART II Dead at all Times

      3. PART III Dead from 1st September to 28th February

    4. SCHEDULE 4

      Birds Which Must Be Registered and Ringed if Kept in Captivity

    5. SCHEDULE 5

      Animals which are Protected

    6. SCHEDULE 6

      Animals which may not be Killed or Taken by Certain Methods

    7. SCHEDULE 7

      PROTECTION OF CERTAIN MAMMALS

      1. The Ground Game Act 1880

        1. 1.(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 6 of the Ground...

      2. The Agriculture (Scotland) Act 1948

        1. 2.(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 50(1)(a) of the Agriculture...

      3. The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953

        1. 3.(1) At the end of subsection (2) of section 1...

      4. The Deer Act 1963

        1. 4.For subsection (3) of section 10 of the Deer Act...

        2. 5.(1) After section 10 of that Act there shall be...

        3. 6.(1) In paragraph 1 of Schedule 2 to that Act...

      5. The Conservation of Seals Act 1970

        1. 7.(1) In subsection (1)(c) of section 10 of the Conservation...

      6. The Badgers Act 1973

        1. 8.For subsections (2) and (3) of section 1 of the...

        2. 9.(1) Section 7 of that Act (exceptions for authorised persons)...

        3. 10.(1) In section 8 of that Act (general exceptions), after...

        4. 11.(1) In subsection (1)(c) of section 10 of that Act...

        5. 12.In section 11 of that Act (interpretation) for the definition...

    8. SCHEDULE 8

      Plants which are Protected

    9. SCHEDULE 9

      Animals and plants to which section 14 applies

      1. PART I Animals which are established in the wild

      2. PART II Plants

    10. SCHEDULE 10

      Amendments of the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 1976

      1. PART I The Amendments

        1. Licences

          1. 1.(1) After subsection (3) of section 1 of the 1976...

        2. Expenses of returning animals and plants to the wild

          1. 2.After subsection (8) of section 1 of the 1976 Act...

        3. Powers of entry

          1. 3.After the subsection inserted by paragraph 2 as subsection (9)...

        4. Power to modify Schedules

          1. 4.(1) In paragraph (c) of section 3 of the 1976...

        5. Sale of certain animals or plants or their derivatives

          1. 5.(1) In subsection (1) of section 4 of the 1976...

        6. Supplemental

          1. 6.In section 13(2) of the 1976 Act (substitution in Northern...

      2. PART II Schedule inserted as Schedule 4

      3. PART III Schedule inserted as Schedule 5

    11. SCHEDULE 11

      Procedure in connection with Certain Orders under Part II

      1. Coming into operation

        1. 1.(1) An original order or a restrictive amending order shall...

      2. Publicity for orders

        1. 2.(1) Where an order takes effect immediately, the authority making...

      3. Unopposed orders

        1. 3.(1) Where an order made by a relevant authority takes...

      4. Opposed orders

        1. 4.(1) If any representation or objection duly made with respect...

      5. Restriction on power to amend orders or confirm them with modifications

        1. 5.The Secretary of State shall not by virtue of paragraph...

      6. Notice of final decision on orders

        1. 6.(1) The Secretary of State shall as soon as practicable...

      7. Proceedings for questioning validity of orders

        1. 7.(1) This paragraph applies to any order which has taken...

      8. Interpretation

        1. 8.In this Schedule— "amending order" and "revoking order" mean an...

    12. SCHEDULE 12

      Procedure in Connection With Orders Under Section 36

      1. Consultation

        1. 1.Before making an order, the Secretary of State shall consult...

      2. Publicity for draft orders

        1. 2.(1) Before making an order, the Secretary of State shall...

      3. Unopposed orders

        1. 3.If no representations or objections are duly made, or if...

      4. Opposed orders

        1. 4.(1) If any representation or objection duly made is not...

      5. Restriction on power to make orders with modifications

        1. 5.(1) The Secretary of State shall not make an order...

      6. Local inquiries

        1. 6.(1) The provisions of subsections (2) to (5) of section...

      7. Notice of making of orders

        1. 7.(1) As soon as practicable after an order is made,...

      8. Proceedings for questioning validity of orders

        1. 8.(1) If any person is aggrieved by an order which...

      9. Supplemental

        1. 9.(1) In this Schedule— " area " includes district; "...

    13. SCHEDULE 13

      Provisions With Respect to the Countryside Commission

      1. Status

        1. 1.The Commission shall be a body corporate.

        2. 2.The Commission shall not be regarded as the servant or...

      2. Members

        1. 3.(1) The Commission shall consist of a chairman and such...

        2. 4.(1) The Commission— (a) shall pay to their members such...

      3. Committee for Wales

        1. 5.(1) The Commission shall, after consultation with the Secretary of...

      4. Procedure

        1. 6.The procedure (including the quorum) of the Commission shall be...

        2. 7.The validity of any proceeding of the Commission shall not...

      5. Staff

        1. 8.(1) The Commission shall appoint— (a) with the approval of...

        2. 9.(1) The Commission shall in the case of such of...

        3. 10.(1) Employment with the Commission shall be included among the...

      6. Accounts and report

        1. 11.(1) The Commission shall keep proper accounts and other records,...

        2. 12.The Commission shall furnish the Secretary of State with such...

        3. 13.(1) The Commission shall, as soon as possible after the...

      7. Land

        1. 14.The Commission, for the purpose of providing themselves with office...

        2. 15.Any land occupied by the Commission shall, for the purpose...

      8. Interpretation

        1. 16.In this Schedule— " appointed day " means the day...

    14. SCHEDULE 14

      Applications for Certain Orders Under Part III

      1. Form of applications

        1. 1.An application shall be made in the prescribed form and...

      2. Notice of applications

        1. 2.(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), the applicant shall serve a...

      3. Determination by authority

        1. 3.(1) As soon as reasonably practicable after receiving a certificate...

      4. Appeal against a decision not to make an order

        1. 4.(1) Where the authority decide not to make an order,...

      5. Interpretation

        1. 5.(1) In this Schedule— " application " means an application...

    15. SCHEDULE 15

      Procedure in Connection with Certain Orders Under Part III

      1. Consultation

        1. 1.Before making an order, the authority shall consult with every...

      2. Coming into operation

        1. 2.An order shall not take effect until confirmed either by...

      3. Publicity for orders

        1. 3.(1) On making an order, the authority shall give notice...

      4. Representations or objections made with respect to abandoned surveys or reviews

        1. 4.(1) This paragraph applies where a survey begun under sections...

      5. Severance of orders

        1. 5.(1) Where at any time representations or objections duly made...

      6. Unopposed orders

        1. 6.(1) If no representations or objections are duly made, or...

      7. Opposed orders

        1. 7.(1) If any representation or objection duly made is not...

      8. Restriction on power to confirm orders with modifications

        1. 8.(1) The Secretary of State shall not confirm an order...

      9. Local inquiries

        1. 9.—The provisions of subsections (2) to (5) of section 250...

      10. Appointment of inspectors etc.

        1. 10.(1) A decision of the Secretary of State under paragraph...

      11. Notice of final decisions on orders

        1. 11.(1) As soon as practicable after a decision to confirm...

      12. Proceedings for questioning validity of orders

        1. 12.(1) If any person is aggrieved by an order which...

      13. Supplemental

        1. 13.(1) The Secretary of State may, subject to the provisions...

    16. SCHEDULE 16

      Orders Creating, Extinguishing or Diverting Footpaths or Bridleways

      1. The Town and Country Planning Act 1971

        1. 1.(1) In sub-paragraph (1)(b) of paragraph 1 of Schedule 20...

        2. 2.After paragraph 3 of that Schedule there shall be inserted...

        3. 3.(1) In paragraph 6 of that Schedule—

        4. 4.After that paragraph there shall be inserted the following paragraph—...

      2. The Highways Act 1980

        1. 5.(1) In subsection (1) of section 119 of the Highways...

        2. 6.(1) In sub-paragraphs (1)(b) and 2(b) of paragraph 1 of...

        3. 7.After paragraph 2 of that Schedule there shall be inserted...

        4. 8.(1) In paragraph 4 of that Schedule after the words...

        5. 9.After that paragraph there shall be inserted the following paragraph—...

      3. Supplemental

        1. 10.(1) The amendments made by the foregoing provisions of this...

    17. SCHEDULE 17

      Enactments Repealed

      1. PART I Enactments repealed one month after the passing of this Act

      2. PART II Enactments repealed on a day to be appointed

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