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Introduction
Natural Assets play a critical role in providing services that are vital for the physical wellbeing of Dorset’s population. As well as the natural regulation of hazards, such as flooding.
Dorset Council has a responsibility to protect the county’s Natural Assets, facilitating habitat gain and improving the quality and protection of Dorset’s species. We also need to increase sequestration, use land to increase resilience to climate change, and ensure that future management and maintenance of these assets are financially sustainable.
After detailed evidence and information gathering exercises, led by the EAP and carried out by officer working groups, it has been recommended that the Council implement the following 22 actions relating to Dorset’s Natural Assets.
Milestones have been identified for each action. This plan shows the immediate targets we will need to achieve by 2023 to keep us on track.
Objective 1
Objective | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost |
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Protect and increase ecological value, carbon sequestration and climate resilience on Council land |
Direct, indirect, partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, builds resilience, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing | Medium |
Actions | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost | 2021-23 target |
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Identify areas on Dorset Council land to enhance ecological value, carbon sequestration and climate resilience (surface water run off and natural flood management) | Direct | Medium | Improves ecology, builds resilience, enhances health and wellbeing | None | Appropriate areas identified |
Develop a scientifically robust approach to identify & monitor carbon sequestration values of council owned open space | Direct | High | Improves ecology, builds resilience, encourages economic sustainability | Medium | Methodology created & communicated by 2021 |
Expand ‘cut and collect’ verge management to increase ecological value of highway verges | Direct | Low | Improves ecology, builds resilience, | Medium | 1 x additional “cut & collect” machine purchased and Additional waste sites identified by 2022 |
Develop and provide guidance to ensure community tree planting initiatives are ecologically robust & sensitive to local landscape (‘right tree in the right place’) e.g. Tree planting checklist | Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, | None | Guidance developed & communicated by 2021 |
Work with tenants of County Farm’s to promote and ensure best environmental practices are upheld |
Indirect | Low | Improves ecology, builds resilience, | None | Guidance created & communicated by 2021 |
Objective 2
Objective | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
Protect and increase ecological value, carbon sequestration and climate resilience within Dorset | Direct, indirect, partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, builds resilience, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing | High |
Actions | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost | 2021-23 target |
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Creation of suitable high ecological value areas on council land (incl. bee-friendly, wild flower, hedge & woodland planting zones) & areas for carbon sequestration & climate resilience | Direct | Medium | Improves ecology, builds resilience, enhances health and wellbeing | Low | Plan developed & initiated |
Work in partnership with Lead Flood Authority and EA to develop Sustainable Urban Drainage (SUD’s) Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) ensuring that drainage solutions are of high ecological value | Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, builds resilience, encourages economic sustainability | None | SUDs SPD developed by 2022 |
Promotion of ecologically friendly gardens to residents | Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, builds resilience, enhances health and wellbeing | Medium | Future action beyond 2023 |
Review all Dorset Council chemical use to ensure no harm to unintended species | Direct | None | Improves ecology, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing | None |
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Continue with and further develop partnership working (e.g. Urban Heaths Partnership, Dorset Coast Forum) to maximise opportunities for joint working and external funding | Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing | None | Ongoing partnership working |
Work with town & parish councils to promote best practice within their greenspace & communities |
Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, builds resilience, enhances health and wellbeing | None | Guidance created & communicated by 2021 |
Develop strategic approach to draw together planning gains from various ecological mitigation schemes (e.g. Biodiversity, Nitrates and Heathland schemes) to maximise the ecological benefits to Dorset |
Indirect | Low | Improves ecology, builds resilience, enhances health and wellbeing | None | Strategy developed |
Develop business case for large scale commercial carbon sequestration scheme within Dorset & implement scheme if feasible |
Indirect | Medium | Improves ecology, builds resilience | High | Business case |
Objective 3
Objective | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
Use of various planning gains to increase ecological value, carbon sequestration and climate resilience |
Direct, indirect | Low | Improves ecology, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing | None |
Actions | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost | 2021-23 target |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Develop policy to ensure where ever possible additional land brought about by planning gain is managed in-house to benefit from economies of scale and to ensure ecological value and carbon sequestration potential is maximised | Direct | Medium | Improves ecology, encourages economic sustainability, enhances health and wellbeing | None | Policy developed and agreed by 2021 |
Use developer contributions secured through the planning system to provide and sustain high-quality public open space that is capable of meeting the needs of current and future residents/visitors |
Indirect | Low | Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing | None | Mechanisms agreed by 2023 |
Objective 4
Objective | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ensure decision making around use of natural assets is based upon ecological value | Indirect | Low | Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing | None |
Actions | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost | 2021-23 target |
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Work with development management team to ensure green infrastructure advice team is involved in all relevant planning applications to ensure ecological value and recreational opportunities are fully considered |
Indirect | Low | Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing | None | Planning process amended to include liaising with Green infrastructure team by 2022 |
Objective 5
Objective | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
Increased appreciation and engagement with areas of high ecological value | Indirect, partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, builds resilience, enhances health and wellbeing | Medium |
Actions | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost | 2021-23 target |
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Communicate to businesses and land owners good practice in terms of protecting and enhancing ecological value, carbon sequestration and climate resilience | Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, builds resilience |
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Work with partners to connect fragmented habitats across the county | Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, builds resilience, enhances health and wellbeing | None |
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Further develop and promote the health & wellbeing benefits of publicly accessible high ecological value land | Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing | Medium | Promotional materials created and communicated by 2021 |
Work in partnership with Children’s and Adult Services to identify and create opportunities for natural environment to be better utilised on social care offer | Indirect | Low | Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing | None |
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Objective 6
Objective | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost |
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Increase accessibility of rights of way and off road routes | Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing | None |
Actions | Action type | CO2 saving potential | Co-benefits | Cost | 2021-23 target |
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Ensure rights of way network is fully promoted and maintained to a high standard | Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing | None |
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Increase amount of well provisioned and well promoted off road routes | Partnership/influence | Low | Improves ecology, enhances health and wellbeing | None |
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