Saving Slowworms and Snakes?

The UK's Environment Secretary maintains that, his abolishing of the Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Protected Areas (SPA) designations, is designed to help animals such as the Slowworm and the Adder (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/29/adders-and-slowworms-to-gain-extra-protection-under-new-system-in-england). The Environment Secretary claims that, removing SSSI and SPA protections, would give him more scope to tailor English designations to its endangered wildlife (like the Adder). He suggests that rare species on brownfield and urban sites need more protections. This is probably true. There's seems a possibility, however, that any new scheme will be used to boost building on currently protected greenfield areas. All protections are effectively removed, until the Environment Secretary decides what should be protected!