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NW Local Records Centres Advocacy Document

Between them, the five Local Records Centres in the North West hold over 4 million digitised species records, of which over 390,000 are of legally protected and BAP priority species. Their Geographic Information Systems (GIS) hold information on 3,952 designated sites and 24,370 hectares of BAP priority habitats. Up-to-date information is vital to inform decision making and ensure compliance with environmental legislation; over 40% of the species records and 80% of habitat records in the North West Local Records Centres' databases were gathered within the last 10 years and around 175,000 new species records are added each year. Historical information on the distribution of species and habitats is equally valuable, and is needed to monitor and mitigate the effects of climate change and to identify opportunities for habitat creation. A Local Records Centre is much more than the database of records it manages. Experienced staff provide ecological interpretation of the data, taking account of local policies and priorities. By working with local and national experts, Local Records Centres validate and verify data to known standards, enabling them to be used with confidence.