Local Sites are non-statutory sites designated through Local Sites Partnerships (Defra Guidelines) and receive policy protection through Local Plans. MEAS chairs the North Merseyside Local Sites Partnership. These include both Local Wildlife Sites (LWS) and Local Geological Sites (LGS). Local Sites are designated due to substantive wildlife or geological interest. Sites must meet selection guidelines to be designated as a Local Site. In North Merseyside (Knowsley, Liverpool, St. Helens and Sefton) Local Wildlife Sites are designated using the North Merseyside Local Sites designation guidelines.  Wirral and Halton are covered by the Cheshire Region Local Sites guidelines.  

MEAS co-ordinates the status of Local Sites and provides this information to the Districts for incorporation in their annual monitoring reports. The most recent information of the proportion of sites in positive conservation management (Single Data List indicator 160-00) is presented below.