Natural England's Priority Habitat Inventory Evidence Requirements These are the documents you receive when you send any email to: habitatInventories@naturalengland.org.uk. They are available here but always check by emailing that you have the latest edition.

SM-NE-Habitat Inventories (NE)

May 24, 2025, 5:58 PM

Thank you for contacting the Priority Habitat Inventory (PHI) team. This inbox is managed on a part-time basis, but we aim to respond to all email queries within ten working days.

What is the PHI?

Natural England’s Priority Habitat Inventory (PHI) is a spatial dataset that describes the geographic extent and location of priority habitats in England.

What we do

Here at the Natural England PHI inbox we assess suggested modifications to the PHI based on submitted evidence and map accepted changes.

The Priority Habitat Inventory and Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI)

If your enquiry relates to the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) action GRH6 (species rich grassland), please note that applications made to the RPA for SFI endorsed actions will not require the land to be mapped under an appropriate classification in the Priority Habitat Inventory at the point of application submission.

Arrangement for other endorsed actions will be published when the SFI is launched.

As part of the application process, you may be contacted by a NE adviser or contractor who may wish to visit to confirm the presence or not of a habitat on your land. The PHI team at Natural England will continue to assess proposed additions and amendments to the Priority Habitat Inventory for processing at a later date as part of our regular update cycle. Full guidance on the SFI and CS application process will be published when each scheme is launched.

Frequently asked questions:

Am I contacting the right people?

Queries regarding PHI mapping should be addressed to this inbox, queries regarding agri-environment scheme application processes should be directed to RPA.

How do I get a land parcel mapped on the Priority Habitats Inventory?

We require robust evidence to support proposed additions or modifications to the PHI. The nature of the evidence required depends on the category of priority habitat proposed for modification. The attached document lists our evidence requirements for the priority habitat types most requested for mapping. Once compiled, the evidence should be sent to the Priority Habitats Inventory Inbox for assessment, along with a signed copy of the data use licence, also attached. A typed signature is acceptable.

What is the data use licence for?

This document gives Natural England the legal right to use and publish your evidence publicly in the PHI and in other areas of Natural England’s work should it be suitable. If you do not wish to agree to these terms, we will be unable to add your evidence to the PHI.

Will the changes I have suggested be visible on MAGiC?

Accepted modifications to the PHI are mapped into a dataset which is used to update the PHI twice a year, with the updated PHI published on MAGiC following this. There will therefore be a delay between the PHI inbox team confirming a parcel has been added to our internal systems and that change becoming visible on MAGiC.

PHI update schedule

Spring: deadline for submissions will be mid-February. Publication will be during April (NE and Defra data download platforms) and May (MAGIC).

Autumn: deadline for submissions will be mid-August. Publication will be during October (NE and Defra data download platforms) and November (MAGIC).

This email and any attachments is intended for the named recipient only. If you have received it in error you have no authority to use, disclose, store or copy any of its contents and you should destroy it and inform the sender. Whilst this email and associated attachments will have been checked for known viruses whilst within the Natural England systems, we can accept no responsibility once it has left our systems. Communications on Natural England systems may be monitored and/or recorded to secure the effective operation of the system and for other lawful purposes.

https://assets.zyrosite.com/Yyvk1NPVQ6HRQ7WL/phi_evidence_requirements-v1.4-4-AzGXQgkJ0ytXaMkL.pdf

https://assets.zyrosite.com/Yyvk1NPVQ6HRQ7WL/phi-data-licence-agreement-7-A85ebQk8BJT5LbBG.docx

You didn’t come this far to stop

Here are some images to show you what we do:

Whether you want a complete environmental assessment or a piece of work to accompany your own do get in touch please

Let us create a bespoke price plan for your individual needs. Get in touch and start your next design journey with us.