The high opportunity nature areas are important for the county so that nature recovery can be more targeted, and habitats and people can be more joined up to help achieve the most for nature recovery and the wider environment.
If you are doing something on your land to help nature recovery in some way or are thinking about doing something different with your land within the next 10 years, then this is the land we want to include in the high opportunity nature areas.
About the high opportunity nature areas
Three statutory map layers make up the Local Habitat Map as part of the strategy
- Nature areas of national importance: this layer includes sites currently recognised and protected within the land-use planning system for their biodiversity value
- High opportunity nature areas: this layer shows where effort should be targeted to deliver the most for nature recovery and the wider environment
- Potential activities: this layer highlights the most effective practical habitat enhancement or creation activities across the high opportunity nature areas
Dorset’s high opportunity nature areas have been identified as having significant potential for nature recovery. This layer has been created from a combination of:
- farmers, landowners and land mangers putting forward their land where they are planning to do something to help nature recovery
- modelling of opportunities to expand and connect the largest areas of semi-natural habitat (wetland, heathland, grassland, woodland, river and coastal habitats)
- modelling of opportunities to deliver wider environmental benefits through habitat creation or enhancement, for example, flooding, air quality and water quality
- cutting out the highest-grade agricultural land, buffering around buildings, and removing overlaps with the nature areas of national importance layer.
The potential activities layer has been created by using the combination of data above to propose primary and secondary activities for each area.
Find out more about Dorset’s nature recovery maps.
Benefits of being in the high opportunity nature areas
Attract funding
The high opportunity nature areas will be one of the tools used to guide the allocation of a range of public, private and voluntary sector funding. For example:
- Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMs)
- Biodiversity Net Gain strategic significance multiplier
- environment mitigation funds such as nutrient, recreation or air quality
- emerging ecosystem markets or green finance
Choose how you use it
See your own planned nature recovery activities on the map, or use the different map layers to help decide what activities are right for you and your land.
The map shows a general boundary around a landholding, cluster or proposed project, not detail on individual parcels or fields (unless requested by the landowner or manager)
Promote your contribution
Promote what you are doing for nature recovery, or your ambition to do something to more people. This can lead to reputational and financial benefits.
Share learning, motivate others to take action, and help show how Dorset is contributing to the 30by30 target to have 30% of the UK's land as nature-rich areas by 2030.
Connect with others
Help bring together everyone's efforts across the county onto 1 map and show how Dorset is contributing to the 30by30 target.
See how your activities or proposal sits alongside other things happening across the wider landscape.
Consider joining up with your neighbours to deliver activities in partnership.
Important information about being included
There is no obligation
The statutory guidance is clear in stating that "the LNRS strategies do not force the owners and managers of the land identified to make any changes. Instead, the government is encouraging action through, for example, opportunities for funding and investment."
Land managers and landowners maintain flexibility to identify what activities and funding options will work best for you, your business and your land
The maps are a useful guide, but not a prescription. The maps are high-level, so do not replace the need for on-the-ground expertise, site-based assessments and management plans
There are no new restrictions
High opportunity nature areas are not a designation, nature recovery is about increasing nature-richness across the whole county, not just on protected sites.
High opportunity nature areas therefore show opportunity to manage land in ways that enhance biodiversity long-term, including as part of sustainable farming or development. Designation processes are separate to this strategy.
The local nature recovery strategy will be a tool to help deliver sustainable development, but it is not intended as a tool to restrict activity or development. Find out more on How the Dorset local nature recovery strategy will work with planning policy.
There are no new access rights
High opportunity nature areas will not give any new access to land.
Access will continue to require landowner permission, except for existing access rights such as rights of way or open access land.
Key dates
- proposals received from farmers, landowners, land managers and project coordinators in August to October 2024 have been used to create the draft local nature recovery strategy
- there is another opportunity to put your land forward as part of the public consultation between 7 May to 30 July 2025. To do this please
- first view the draft strategy and maps
- then complete the consultation survey to draw the land or project area on the map and give a summary of potential nature recovery activities
- the strategy will then be published in Winter 2025, following any changes based on the consultation responses
- once the strategy is published, no changes will be possible to the strategy or maps until a review is instructed by the Defra secretary of state (expected to be between 3 to 10 years). This is because the map is intended to show a moment in time, from which progress can be measured.
Contact us by emailing LNRS@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk if you'd like your land to be included but would like to discuss things further.