Dorset National Park
Winter 2021 Newsletter The Challenges
As COP26 recognised, the climate and nature emergencies present a huge challenge to us all. Stressing the link between the crises of climate and nature, the conclusion of COP26 emphasised the importance of “protecting, conserving and restoring ecosystems” to help achieve the goal of the Paris Agreement to limit warming to 1.5 and well below 2 degrees C. The pandemic has underlined the importance of the natural world to our physical and mental health and wellbeing. The Government is committed to supporting nature recovery, bringing people closer to nature for the health and well-being benefits this brings, and promote a greener and more sustainable economic future. The Government commitment to create new National Parks for England is part of this agenda. A Dorset National Park can help the county and the country achieve these aims.
How are National Parks helping to address the Climate and Eco Emergencies?
- The 15 UK National Parks, in a joint statement before COP26, emergency and biodiversity crisis1. They have pledged to pay organisations to make greener, more sustainable choices.
- The National Park Authorities are already working to achieve net zero by 2030 for their own operations, and by 2045 for their areas.
- Their commitment includes supporting sustainable housing, low carbon land management and renewable energy schemes, and promoting more sustainable tourism, including transport to and from National Parks.
- They will work with partners to achieve Nature Recovery and to implement Nature Based Solutions at scale to fight climate change. They will lead collaborative efforts to pilot new technologies and strategies to reduce carbon emissions and increase carbon sequestration and nature restoration, and will work with partners Our National Parks are showing they can be innovation engines for a green recovery and a greener future.1. https://www.nationalparks.uk/2021/10/08/press-release-uks-15-national- parks-release-joint-statement-on-climate-change-in-lead-up-to-cop-26
The Challenges for Dorset
The same challenges and opportunities face us in Dorset: Dorset’s environment is not immune to the national decline in nature and in the quality of soils, rivers and harbours, nor to the continuing threat to the survival of many species. The Dorset National Park Facebook series highlights some of our threatened species. As nature writer Jonathan Tulloch recently wrote: “Given the ever- accelerating depletion of nature, how can we write honestly about wildlife without acknowledging we are in a catastrophe? At best, I worry about being complacent, at worst complicit.” But this need not be the future.
As the Dorset Council has said in a letter to Ministers: “For too long, many people have seen the potential adoption of greener policies and the transformation of our economy, both at a national and local level, as a negative. That by addressing the climate and ecological emergency and putting environmental benefits ahead of all else, it will mean a level of sacrifice and compromise that some people are not willing to accept. It does not need to be this way. We just need to change our focus to building prosperity around a sustainable economy, rather than slip back into old habits and traditional areas of development that can harm our environment.”
A Dorset National Park can help deliver these positive solutions and help us all achieve a more sustainable future. Working hand in hand with the Dorset Council, communities and others it can help develop sustainable policies for a thriving, greener economy, for transport, tourism and energy for rural Dorset. The South Downs National Park (SDNP) is implementing policies to achieve net zero for its operations by 2030 and net zero for its area by around 2040. It has the largest off-shore wind farm in southern England and is not opposed to this being expanded. The SDNP secured a multi-million pound funding package to improve the provision of sustainable transport, improve rural bus services and invest in new cycle ways.
A Dorset National Park can work with landowners and farmers to help secure economic opportunities and a successful, thriving future. Farmers and land managers are the guardians of the landscape. As in the South Downs, a Dorset National Park can support them to produce and market healthy Dorset food and drink and help them access new ”public benefit” from funding the will help nature and ecosystems to recover. Landscape recovery funding is more likely to be accessible when landowners and farmers work together at scale. A National Park can help landowner and farmer-led partnerships to develop long term plans for a successful, viable future through business streams including food and food products, thriving nature and ecosystem services (e.g. healthy soils, clean water, carbon capture,) and diversification (e.g.the re-purposing of redundant buildings.) The South Downs National Park Local Plans the specific aim of supporting and improving farm viability, and that National Park works in close partnership with the CLA and NFU, for example to develop and propose funding schemes and to support land manager-led clusters and partnerships.
A National Park can help Dorset build the homes that people need. There is a shortage of truly affordable homes to help retain and attract the young families who are vital to sustaining local communities and services including schools, and who are the lifeblood of Dorset’s future economy. In a national CPRE/YouGov survey of over 1,000 young people aged 16-25 living in rural areas, only two in five expect to stay in the countryside over the next five years. The lack of affordable housing was their biggest concern, with a massive 84% telling us the chronic absence of suitable housing was a major factor in them being likely to leave.”2 A report for Dorset CPRE confirmed he shortage of affordable homes for local people.
2. https://www.cpre.org.uk/news/young-people-cpre-report/ Images above courtesy of David Brown and John Bish
A Dorset National Park Would Have National Appeal
It would:
- Work in partnership with the Dorset Council, communities and others to help achieve a thriving, successful, greener future for local communities and the economy.
- Help connect people with nature, locally, from across the country and of all ages, benefiting their health and wellbeing.
- Help address the climate and ecological emergencies, promote nature recovery, and raise awareness of and understanding about Dorset’s very special environment.
- Double the extent of coastline in English National Parks – important in particular in engaging young people with nature and help care for the UNESCO World Heritage “Jurassic” Coast.
- Contribute to the Government’s “30 by 30” objective to designate 30% of England’s landscapes for nature by 2030.
- Help reduce pollution and promote healthier rivers, harbours and seas; assist coordination between the on-shore and off-shore environment.
- Help Dorset farmers and land managers to optimise the opportunities for new ELMS funding and diversification.The South Downs Experience on Retaining and Attracting Young PeopleThe provision of affordable homes is crucial to keeping and attracting young people, including those in the higher skilled knowledge economy. In the South Downs National Park those aged 16 to 24 have increased by around 5% between 2011 (when the South Downs National Park began) and 2018. The population of the South Downs National Park is more highly qualified than residents in the South East as a whole. During the period 2016 – 2019, in the South East Region, only the South Downs NP and the relevant Local Enterprise Partnership area showed a positive growth in the percentage of knowledge economy businesses3.3. Information from Economic Data Update South Downs National Park August 2020 SDNPA and Simpson Consulting
A New Approach to Planning
Dorset offers the unique opportunity of a National Park wholly within the boundaries of the Dorset Council area. There is an opportunity to develop a unique, streamlined and cost effective new style National Park.
- The Dorset Council could have the leading role on the National Park Authority (NPA) Board and in NPA policy development and implementation.
- It could develop and implement a Local Plan for the whole Dorset Council area including the National Park. NPA staff could be Dorset Council employees, with a single planning team covering all of rural Dorset.
- NPA resources, including central government grant, would benefit Dorset Council, local communities and businesses, help to meet the costs of planning and other functions, and thus release funds for other local priorities.
- A National Park Advisory Board could include relevant Dorset organisations (e.g. the Jurassic Coast Trust, Dorset Local Nature Partnership) and help promote coordination and synergy. NPA funds would support such local organisations (and thus also supplement or release Dorset Council funds).
- Offer a wider range of recreational opportunities than is available in any existing or proposed National Park.The former Dorset County Council concluded that “the proposal for a National Park could potentially support the Council’s corporate outcomes in relation to a healthy and prosperous Dorset.”The Dorset National Park team accepted an invitation from Natural England in the summer to be involved in the further assessment of the Dorset proposal now it has been short-listed for further evaluation. The team looks forward to renewing these discussions with Natural England.Dorset has an opportunity to take forward unique proposals for a National Park which would bring economic, financial and environmental benefits to all.
A Positive Future
Dorset’s unique environment is a great asset, of local, national and global importance. It is why so many people live and work here and visit the area. The Government and the Dorset Council want a thriving, successful, greener future for our communities and economy. A Dorset National Park can help make this visions a reality. It would benefit Dorset’s businesses and economy as well as its very special environment and heritage.
A National Park would bring central Government funding4, other resources and expertise to support the work of the Dorset Council, including to address the climate and ecological emergencies. National Parks have a statutory responsibility to conserve and enhance their environment, and to help bring people closer to nature and improve health and wellbeing. The work of England’s National Parks has helped improve the life chances of young people, including in deprived communities5. A Dorset National Park can help improve the health and wellbeing of people of all ages and help reduce the costs of social care.
National Parks have a statutory duty to foster the economic and social wellbeing of their communities. Independent studies have shown how they attract investment and jobs and help improve skills. A study by Bournemouth University concluded that a Dorset National Park would boost the Dorset economy by several million pounds per year6. The National Park brand is known nationally and internationally and Dorset businesses have said they would benefit from the marketing opportunities a National Park would bring.
National Parks have a duty to respond pro-actively to local housing needs, and national planning guidance would enable the Dorset Council to establish a local methodology for assessing housing need for the whole of the Dorset Council area (not just the area of the National Park) in place of the current central methodology/algorithm which generates central housing targets. Supporting the provision of appropriate homes for local people would help Dorset and its businesses retain and attract young families and build better lives.
With a National Park, the Dorset Council and ALL of Dorset could consider its housing needs, priorities and preferences, and not be subject to central housing targets.
It’s time for Dorset’s National Park
You can support the National Park Team CIC with time, contacts, knowledge and funding. For more information and to be kept in touch, visit www.dorsetnationalpark.com
Contact us at: info@dorsetnationalpark.com Dorset & East Devon National Park CIC. Co Number: 10563714
4. Dartmoor secures around £4m per year, the South Downs around £10m per year
5. See https://www.dorsetnationalpark.com/post/national-parks-help-improve-young-peoples-health-and-life-chances and https://www.publichealthdorset.org.uk/intelligence/risks/greenspace-accessibility.aspx
6. http://www.dorsetnationalpark.com/post/economic-benefits