This chapter describes the political, environmental and socio-economic background at the time of plan writing.
The Dorset National Landscape, its management and access to it as guided by this plan can provide solutions to the many challenges listed above.
Since the production of the last plan, the Environment Act (2021) received Royal Assent. Key aspects within it include:
• Environmental Improvement Plan, (EIP) building on the 25 Year Environment Plan. The Protected Landscapes Targets and Outcomes Framework requires reporting on progress towards 3 key Environmental Improvement Plan goals (1: thriving plants and wildlife; 7: mitigating and adapting to climate change and 10: enhancing beauty, heritage and engagement with the natural environment). It also includes goals for increasing the area of nature-friendly farming and increasing private investment in nature recovery. The EIP is, at the time of writing, subject to a rapid review.
• Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS): at the time of writing the Dorset LNRS is out for consultation. This covers the vast majority of the Dorset National Landscape and builds on previous mapping work led by the National Landscape team.
Net Zero Strategy
• The UK is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 100% compared to 1990 levels by 2050. A legally binding target was set by an amendment to the Climate Change Act 2008.
At the time of writing, the Government has also committed to developing two strategies that will affect decisions about land in National Landscapes:
• A Land Use Framework, which is intended to aid planning for development, food security and nature recovery. Government is considering public consultation responses.
• A National Food Strategy, intended to focus on food security, health, environment and economy.
Planning and development policy is also shifting with local authorities being required to provide for a much greater housing supply in Local Plans. Nutrient rules for catchments draining into protected sites (Poole Harbour, the Axe and the Fleet) still require the nutrient contribution from new housing in the catchment to be offset by taking land out of intensive agriculture. A Planning and Infrastructure Bill is before parliament at the time of writing.
An NHS Change Programme is also under way, seeking to develop a 10-year Health Plan. Opportunities for preventative measures through nature connection are as relevant as ever.
There is a drive to create sub-regional mayoral authorities. It is expected that some environmental activities would be coordinated at this scale. Dorset entered a bid with Wiltshire and Somerset in 2025 that wasn’t accepted into the priority programme. There remains the political will, and it may progress during the lifespan of this management plan.
Public funding is limited, with the economy still suffering from the shocks of Brexit, the global pandemic and war in Ukraine. Departmental budgets are constrained, and successive short-term spending reviews have hampered long-term planning. Funds for achieving environmental outcomes are at threat of being diverted to other parts of the national budget.
At the time of writing, Government spending reviews have limited revenue funding for National Landscapes while continuing to provide sums of capital funding. This reduces time and resources available for developing broad programmes of work.
Local authority funding is at a severe low ebb, with rising demands from adult and social care causing the need to look for savings elsewhere.
These conjoined emergencies are widely accepted. Driven by numerous factors globally, most notably fossil fuel combustion and land conversion, loss of biodiversity and natural abundance affects, and is affected by the changing climate. Even with stabilised emissions, the average global temperature is forecast to rise to a point at which extreme weather events, storminess, flooding and sea level rise are almost certain.
Disruption to nature, through habitat destruction, pollution, pests and diseases, and exploitation is causing a rapid rate of change; extinctions and genetic bottlenecks result, threatening the resilience of our future.
The future impacts will manifest themselves on a country that is already one of the most nature-depleted in the world, leading quickly to irreversible loss.
Intrinsic to the nature emergency, the National Landscape’s water resources are subject to significant nutrient loading from agriculture and sewage, both current and historical (especially the Poole Harbour catchment, River Axe catchment, The Fleet catchment). A significant challenge facing the rivers, streams and tidal water within the National Landscape and its marine setting relates to the impact of nutrients and eutrophication. In addition, many rivers and streams are highly modified in order to encourage faster drainage.
The increase in forecast intensive rainfall events, combined with inappropriate land use choices, will lead to increased turbidity of rivers and streams as well as increased flood risk, putting people at greater risk.
Through the Agricultural Transition, basic payments for supporting agricultural operations are due to be phased out completely by 2028. The food system which drives many farm decisions is dysfunctional: farmers struggle to set a price for their products in the face of the massive bargaining power of the small number of major retailers; English farm incomes hit a significant low in 23-24, particularly lowland mixed grazing (latest statistics at time of writing). At the same time, the system encourages the continued production of commodity crops (cereals, meat, eggs, and milk) in which the UK tends to be more self-sufficient while returns for market gardening are very low, even though these are the categories in which the UK is least self-sufficient. This has dietary and environmental consequences.
Regenerative forms of agriculture present a huge opportunity by increasing the circularity of each farm’s economy, reducing reliance on external inputs of fuel, fertiliser and pesticide. Additionally, a focus on soil health during food production appears to increase that food’s nutrient density.
There are wider opportunities to describe and develop a new nature-based local economy that is circular rather than extractive, contributing to and feeding from a high quality natural environment.
It is widely quoted that restoring the UK’s natural wealth requires at least £44 billion over the next decade, needing both public and private finance. Currently, private investment is minimal, with only £95 million per year. The government is committed to increasing the flow of private finance into nature restoration; at the time of writing a peatland and woodland code exist for the transparent trading of carbon benefits. The remaining potential markets are underdeveloped and have no accepted framework to underwrite trading.
Green finance can take various forms. Offsetting is where environmental damage in one area is offset by investment in restoration in another. Risk reduction is where a private asset may be protected by investment in nature-based solutions, for instance where the owner of an industrial site in low-lying land may invest in slowing the flow of water through the catchment to reduce the likelihood of flooding. Environmental and social governance investment is frequently done to maintain (or enhance) an enterprise’s good environmental reputation. Looking ahead, it is likely that enterprises will be required to make disclosures about their impact on nature and climate, and statements on what they are doing to mitigate it as part of their annual reporting, through the Taskforce for Climate/Nature-based Financial Disclosures. Philanthropic funding is also a possibility.
The Equality Act (2010) has underpinned a movement towards greater levels of equality, although many parts of society still experience discrimination. Historically underserved communities in the Dorset National Landscape are minority ethnic and refugee communities, young people and those on low incomes.
The Landscapes Review (2019) highlighted the real and perceived barriers to accessing the countryside faced by many people, particularly those from the global majority, disabled and/or with low incomes. The review also remarked upon the lack of diversity in the land management sector and in the governance of protected landscapes.
A lack of diversity in audiences engaged in protected landscapes limits national representation in these national assets, the potential supporter base, and risks creating a culture of exclusivity.
According to the National Housing Federation, the average house price in Dorset increased to £331,426 in 2025, which is around 10 times the average salary. Many young people and those on wages associated with land management are being effectively priced out of the countryside. Alongside this, there is a shortage of truly affordable and social housing. This national trend is exacerbated by Dorset’s desirability as a retirement, second home and holiday destination.
2021 Census data show 29.6% of the Dorset population is aged 65+ compared to a national figure of 18.6%. Dorset has a significantly older population than the national average, continuing a trend of recent decades. This growing number of older people will increase demand for health and social care services, leading to more family members finding themselves acting as informal carers.
Alongside the growing population, the Dorset Local Nature Partnership recognise a wider health and wellbeing crisis: exacerbated by the global coronavirus pandemic, we are witnessing increases in diet-related illnesses (e.g. diabetes) and a surge of mental health issues. Exercise rates are low, engagement with nature is poor and health inequalities remain.
There continues to be a growth in environmental awareness. Climate change awareness, health interests and concern for animal rights is seeing a dietary shift away from red meat, although dairy consumption remains relatively stable. There is a growth in interest in not only local food, but food that is not associated with environmental harms. Hundreds of people have participated in curated Food Conversations in Dorset, the outputs of which will feed into the national Food Strategy. The Feeding Dorset Partnership has joined the county to the Sustainable Food Places programme; Bridport is the county’s first Sustainable Food town.
There is a sustained demand for renewable energy, and many people are trying to reduce their consumption of, and reliance on fossil fuels. Awareness of the nature and climate emergency is particularly wide among young people, many of whom suffer from climate anxiety.
Community-based environmental organisations such as Planet Purbeck and the Dorset Climate Action Network are well-subscribed and are effective at mobilising their community audience.
However, alongside these trends, there has been increased polarisation in attitudes towards climate change, environment, food security, equality and other related socio-environmental factors.