Heathland Mitigation
What is heathland mitigation?
What, why & how
Heathland mitigation projects
Current & planned
Heathland mitigation projects
Completed
What is heathland mitigation?
Hengistbury Head. Photo by Mark Holloway
What are heathlands?
Heathlands are wild, open habitats that are characterised by poor soils and low-growing plants such as heather, gorse, bracken and grasses. Heathland habitats are home to a wonderful mixture of wildlife; some of which is extremely rare.
Heathlands are not natural habitats. They were formed over thousand of years and their rich history dates back to the bronze age where settlers across Dorset cleared woodlands to make space for crops and used wood to build houses, fences and fires. The removal of trees alongside the introduction of crops led to an increase in soil acidity and a reduction in soil nutrients. By 1500 BC many of Dorset’s forests had disappeared and heathlands were established.
Today, Dorset’s heathlands are home to some of the rarest birds, invertebrates, reptiles and plants including the Dartford warbler, nightjars, smooth snakes, sand lizards, silver-studded blue butterflies and emperor hawk moths to name but a few.
Heathlands are rapidly disappearing across the world and are now a habitat that is rarer than rainforest. Today there are around 8500 hectares of heathland remaining in Dorset and most has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This internationally recognised classification is a legal protection given by the Wildlife and Countryside Act in 1981 to ensure heathlands are protected for future generations.
Why do we need heathland mitigation?
Around Dorset, heathland is fragmented and many fragments lie within increasingly urban landscapes in the BCP conurbation. With a rise in neighbouring populations, heathlands are under threat with impacts such as an increase in wild fires, damaging recreational use, the introduction of incompatible plants and animals, loss of vegetation, pollution, vandalism and soil erosion.
Due to the protections on Dorset’s heathlands, BCP Council has a responsibility to mitigate urban pressure on heathland habitats to avoid impact of new residential development and preserve these habitats for future generations
Stonechat. Photo by Frankie Gamble
What does heathland mitigation look like?
The Dorset Heathlands Planning Framework 2020-2025 is a supplementary planning document (SPD) that aims to set out a long-term strategy for the avoidance and mitigation of the impact of new residential development. The SPD establishes a framework under which the Council can ensure that urban pressure of lowland heathland can be mitigated, protecting these important areas of nature conservation. To read the full SPD, please visit Dorset Heathlands Planning Framework – Dorset Council. The SPD is updated every 5 years.
Any net increase in residential development within 5 kilometres of a heathland will have an adverse impact and therefore measures must be put in place to avoid and mitigate all harm caused. The mitigation falls into two parts:
- Strategic Access, Management and Monitoring (SAMM) focusing on heathland wardening, raising awareness and monitoring the success of the strategy.
- Heathland Infrastructure Projects (HIPs) focusing on the provision of alternative facilities to attract people away from protected heathland sites. This includes the delivery of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces (SANGs). By encouraging recreational use including walking, dog walking, jogging and cycling on SANG sites, we can help to protect wildlife on sensitive heathland sites.
The heathland mitigation projects that we describe on this website are HIPs.
The mitigation strategy is overseen by a steering group made up of members from the Dorset Heaths Partnership, including representatives from BCP Council, Dorset Council, Natural England, Dorset Wildlife trust, Forestry England, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, the National Trust, RSPB and Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue. For more information about the partnership, please visit the Dorset Heath Partnership website.
How is heathland mitigation funded?
Silver-studded blue butterfly. Photo by Frankie Gamble
Heathland Mitigation is paid for externally by ‘Developer contributions’ – developers contribute funds before new residential housing development begins around the BCP conurbation. Plans for heathland mitigation projects must be agreed and paid for as part of the planning application process for new development.
Developer contributions are collected through Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payments or are secured through Section 106 agreements. They are used to secure new SANG sites and to design and build the infrastructure needed to support an increase in public use. Mitigation is secured in perpetuity to mitigate for the life of the development. This means that funds include maintenance and management of the project for 80 years after implementation.
- Read about current & planned Heathland mitigation projects across BCP
- Read about completed projects
