Places in Tower Hamlets which are valuable for wildlife and provide local people with access to nature have been identified as Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs). These receive protection from development under policies in the Council’s Local Plan, and are shown on the Adopted Policies Map.
Guidance on identifying SINCs has been published by the Mayor of London and can be viewed on the GLA website. This is consistent with Government guidance on local wildlife sites (PDF 260KB).
SINCs in Tower Hamlets were most recently reviewed in 2016, and the results of that review adopted in the Local Plan in January 2020. A list and map of SINCs in Tower Hamlets can be downloaded below, along with a set of citations (which explain why each site is important) and a report on the 2023 review.
List of Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (PDF 76KB)
Map of Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (PDF 2MB)
SINC citations (PDF 269KB)
Tower Hamlets SINC review 2023 (PDF 263KB)
In 2013 the London Wildlife Sites Board upgraded Mile End Park to a Site of Metropolitan Importance. Download the Board’s decision letter (PDF 69KB).