Dorset National Landscape is one of 46 protected landscapes in the UK. To help keep it ‘outstanding’ now and for generations to come, it is a legal requirement to produce a Management Plan to highlight what’s special about the Dorset landscape, the challenges it faces and prioritise action.
The new Management Plan is all about conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the Dorset National Landscape. It sets out a vision for the area and priorities for the Working Landscape, Exploring, Understanding and Engaging and Planning.
Responding to the climate and nature crisis, the new plan places a greater emphasis on nature recovery and encourages a wider and more diverse range of people enjoying it. It is a plan for the National Landscape Partnership and team, the individual partners, farmers and landowners, communities and businesses.
NB: The Management Plan was adopted by Dorset Council Cabinet on 9th December 2025, this decision will be final on the 18th December 2025 unless called in for scrutiny.
Over the 6 years since the last Plan was published, more than £10million has been directly spent by the Dorset National Landscape Partnership on projects to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of Dorset, including nature, access, heritage and culture. You can find out about some of this work in the Our Mission section of the website.
The Management Plan has 8 chapters and you can access it it several ways: