What is a local nature recovery strategy and who is it for?

Nature recovery is the process of actively restoring and enhancing the natural environment by creating more wildlife-rich spaces across the countryside, coast and towns.

By making more space for nature, nature recovery will:

• increase the diversity and abundance of plants, animals and other wildlife, to address declines in biodiversity
• create and restore a network of habitats, connected by more wildlife-rich spaces across our towns, villages, roads and farmland
• restore naturally functioning ecosystems that are more resilient to pressures
• improve water quality for people and wildlife, by reducing the sources of pollution and supporting nature to filter out pollution
• help us combat climate change, storing and absorbing carbon in habitats like woodland, peatland and saltmarsh
• make people and wildlife more resilient to the impacts of climate change
• protect people’s homes and buildings from flooding, by using nature-based solutions like trees and floodplains to slow the flow of water across the landscape
• support farmers and growers to provide healthy and sustainable food with healthier soils and cleaner water
• boost our physical and mental health, with more wildlife-rich spaces for residents and visitors to enjoy. Plus more natural features in towns will help improve air quality and cooling during heatwaves, and reduce inequalities in access to nature which play a part in unfair differences in health outcomes.
• support our rural economy to be sustainable for future generations, protecting and growing jobs across sectors such as farming, land management, tourism, and food and drink

The overarching ambition of Dorset’s first local nature recovery strategy is to help achieve the national and international 30by30 target to protect and manage 30% of land and rivers for nature by 2030.

Simply put, an area can count towards the 30by30 criteria if:

• the purpose or management objectives include positive outcomes for nature
• there are long term commitments to biodiversity and protections against loss or damage to biodiversity
• management and monitoring are in place to deliver the intended benefits for nature

In 2023, the UK Government tasked each county or combined authority area in England with developing a local nature recovery strategy, as a requirement of the Environment Act (2021) and subsequent statutory guidance.

These spatial strategies will provide the framework to drive forward a nature recovery network across England, by agreeing local priorities and mapping locations where activities will most effectively contribute to these goals.

Dorset’s local nature recovery strategy covers the county of Dorset, including both Dorset Council and BCP Council areas. The strategy covers all the land and freshwater, up to the inter tidal zone as far as mean low water, the strategy does not cover the marine environment.

Dorset Council was appointed as responsible authority to coordinate and facilitate the preparation of Dorset’s local nature recovery strategy, working closely with BCP Council and Natural England as supporting authorities, and a wide range of local people and organisations. 

Dorset Local Nature Recovery Strategy area

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Dorset’s local nature recovery strategy uses the 4 key principles of creating “more, bigger, better and joined” spaces for nature, as outlined in the Making Space for Nature report led by Professor Sir John Lawton in 2010, now often referred to as the Lawton principles.

This strategy uses the Lawton principles as a basis for nature recovery across Dorset, and outlines how we will commit to making better, bigger, more and joined up space for nature.

The principles are explained in the boxes below, they are listed in order of importance. This order was set out by Lawton in the original report and built upon in Natural England's Nature Networks - a summary for practitioners.

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Growing a nature recovery network

Core areas

Natural habitats that are already important for nature and can be managed to better support wildlife and natural processes.

Buffer zones

Making ‘core’ areas big enough to be naturally functioning and protected from external pressures or environmental shocks e.g. flooding, fire or drought.

Restoration area

Creating or restoring natural habitat in places that connect to ‘core’ nature areas.

Stepping stones

Smaller nature areas that provide resting and feeding places for wildlife as they travel between 'core' nature areas.

Sustainable use area

Land in between nature areas is managed or developed in a more nature-friendly way.

Corridors

Uninterrupted strips of habitat that provides a safe passage for wildlife, for example, rivers and hedgerows.

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Lawton et al (2010) Making Space for Nature: a review of England’s wildlife sites and ecological network

This local nature recovery strategy provides a 10-year framework to enable everyone to work together and achieve the shared vision for nature recovery across Dorset. It is a strategic tool that will enable further collective action and help target future efforts. 

The purpose of the strategy is to:

• provide a clear understanding of Dorset’s current biodiversity and opportunities for nature recovery
• build on the long-standing efforts of local communities, farmers, land managers, foresters and wildlife organisations to support nature recovery across the county
• create a unified approach to nature recovery over the next 10 years, to agree what Dorset is trying to achieve and how everyone can contribute in different ways
• provide clear priorities, proposed activities and mapped high opportunity nature areas for a wide range of people to use as a guide to support nature recovery across Dorset
• inform local land management, planning and development decisions to ensure nature recovery is considered
• support people and organisations putting together land management plans, funding bids, landscape recovery projects and other related plans (e.g. transport, local plans)
• promote further partnership working to deliver nature recovery on large landscape scale and create a nature recovery network
• target future efforts and resources by mapping locations where activities can achieve the best outcomes for nature and the wider environment
• enable Dorset to monitor future progress by establishing more coordinated mechanisms for monitoring and recording activities

The strategy does not:

• replace land management plans, project plans or green infrastructure plans - these will still be prepared by those delivering nature recovery
• remove the need for local knowledge, expert advice, or field assessments when planning what mix of activities to carry out in an area. Maps are to be used as a guide only. It’s important to check the suitability of local soils, slope of the land and water levels. You may need advice from an ecologist or farm/ forestry advisor.
• replace the need to refer to best practice guidance, legislation, regulatory processes and local policies when planning to carry out nature recovery activities
• dictate which funding route to use to deliver nature recovery activities
• force the owners and managers of the land identified as high opportunity nature areas to make any changes, they have flexibility to identify what, if any, activities and funding options will work best for them
• prevent the development of new homes and infrastructure, instead the strategy helps guide biodiversity and environmental activities to deliver as part of sustainable development
• aim to replace recreation grounds and parks with nature reserves, the strategy focuses on adjusting the balance to allow people and wildlife to thrive
• propose new nature protections, designations or restrictions in high opportunity nature areas
• stop nature conservation work happening in places outside the high opportunity nature areas
• provide a complete land-use or food strategy for the county, the focus of this strategy is on sustainable farming practices that minimise disruption to ecology and natural processes, to deliver nature recovery alongside food production
  • wider food system issues have been considered in The National Food Strategy based on evidence and expertise from across food, farming & nature sectors
  • locally, The Feeding Dorset Partnership brings together pioneering food champions and projects to improve the resilience of supply and access to healthy and sustainable food
  • wider issues around sustainable development and infrastructure are considered in other national and local strategies, such as local plans and transport plans. These have their own consultation and engagement processes.
• focus on improving people’s access to nature, however, this strategy does include activities to increase nature connectedness and map locations to create more nature-rich areas near people’s homes. Wider work on access to nature is ongoing, such as the Rights of Way Improvement Plan and projects supporting people to overcome barriers to accessing nature.

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The strategy is a tool to help everyone in Dorset work together, celebrate success and enable further collective action. The table below highlights what the strategy offers to different sectors across the county.

Farmers, Foresters, Landowners and Land managers 

People who own and/or manage land (for example, farms, woodlands and estates)

• includes potential activities suggested by local farmers, foresters and land managers already delivering nature recovery
• proposes potential activities that can be funded through Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) and other funding routes
• identifies high opportunity nature areas where funding can be targeted to deliver nature recovery
• showcases where farmers or foresters are working together in clusters or landscape projects, and more opportunities to connect up
• showcases economic benefits of nature recovery and where private finance could be targeted

Communities and Individuals

Members of the public and local voluntary or community sector organisations

• showcases what communities are already doing for nature and how others can get involved
• suggests potential activities that can be done in all types of outdoor spaces, across the countryside, and in towns or villages
• supports funding applications for nature recovery projects
• identifies high opportunity nature areas, creating more nature-rich spaces for people to enjoy
• shows how community activities can join up with others across the landscape
• helps deliver priorities in neighbourhood plans

Business, Industry and Economy

Large and small businesses across all sectors (for example, utilities, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, building development)

• shares best practice from businesses and industries delivering nature recovery
• proposes potential activities that can be delivered by businesses of different types and sizes
• identifies high opportunity nature areas for delivering nature recovery in the countryside, on industrial sites, and in urban towns
• showcases economic benefits of nature recovery and where private finance could be targeted
• guides how development sites can help create, enhance and join habitats, and deliver wider environmental benefits

Public bodies

Local government, town and parish councils, regional government bodies and agencies, and public service providers

• shares best practice of how public bodies are helping nature recovery
• helps the production of local plans and the delivery of sustainable development
• provides a county-wide approach to biodiversity net gain, identifying potential locations for off-site biodiversity net gain through the high opportunity nature areas
• supports efforts to improve health and wellbeing by increasing use of nature-based activities and increasing people’s contact with nature as part of everyday life
• identifies where habitat creation or enhancement can also help deliver wider public sector responsibilities, such as flood protection and carbon storage
• informs statutory, funding and operational decision making as part of the biodiversity duty

Nature and Environment sector

Individuals and organisations with expertise or interest in nature, environmental issues and managing land for conservation purposes

• showcases success stories and best practice from local nature projects
• brings together a variety of work into a shared list of priorities that everyone can work towards
• supports funding applications from a range of public, private and voluntary sector funding
• identifies high opportunity nature areas where action can achieve the most benefits for nature and wider environment
• connects people across sectors, and shows locations where there might be more opportunities to join up

Partnerships and Connectors 

Existing groups that work collaboratively across sectors or on specific issues

• helps strengthen and grow existing partnerships
• forms new connections across sectors
• links the people of Dorset together under one framework to commit to delivering nature recovery across Dorset
• supports funding applications from a range of public, private and voluntary sector funding
• identifies high opportunity nature areas where efforts can be focused to achieve the most benefits