Thousands of new homes for development are to be enabled in
Dorset thanks to the government backed Nutrient Mitigation
Scheme, Natural England has announced today (Friday 10 May).
The scheme will enable around 3,700 new homes to be built in the
catchment over the next few years whilst protecting water
quality.
By securing nutrient mitigation at Lyscombe, the scheme will
enable new homes to be built in the catchment whilst protecting
numerous rare birds such as avocets, spoonbills and black-tailed
godwits from additional pollution that affects their
precious habitat within Poole Harbour.
Natural England will offer credits for sale to developers through
its Nutrient Mitigation Scheme in the coming months.
Lyscombe Farm is strategically important for water quality and
nature recovery. The source of the Little Piddle, a tributary of
the River Piddle, rises at Lyscombe, presenting the opportunity
to restore the river and valley bottom for wildlife, and reduce
the amount of harmful nutrient pollution entering waterways and
reaching Poole Harbour.
Marian Spain, Chief Executive of Natural England,
said:
“The purchase of Lyscombe is a significant step forward for
nutrient mitigation and a boost for sustainable development.
Providing nutrient credits through work at sites like these will
ensure that we can keep building homes for the future, without
harming our waterways.
“This demonstrates how nature recovery and sustainable
development can be delivered hand in hand. It is impressive to
think of all of the benefits that will be realised here, for
nature and people, and how projects like this happen when we work
in partnership and use a combination of tools and funds for the
greatest outcome."
The purchase of 833 acres of chalk downland and farmland at
Lyscombe Farm was made possible through Natural England's
Nutrient Mitigation Scheme and Natural England's National Nature
Reserves funding, alongside donations from Dorset Wildlife Trust
supporters.
The partnership between Natural England and Dorset Wildlife Trust
at Lyscombe Farm will also provide space for significant nature
recovery. The long-term ambition for Lyscombe is to
create a wildlife rich, open-access National Nature Reserve, for
people to enjoy.
Brian Bleese, chief executive at Dorset Wildlife Trust
said:
“The acquisition of Lyscombe is an excellent example of a
blended finance initiative, bringing together statutory,
charitable and private funding to deliver benefits for nature,
people and sustainable development. Making space for nature and
people is vital in addressing climate change and the ecological
crises, projects like Lyscombe ensure that development also
contributes to environmental improvements.”
Further information
The Lyscombe site includes arable and grassland with 59ha Site of
Special Scientific Interest chalk downland and 23ha Site of
Nature Conservation Interest priority habitat, and a small area
of woodland.
The land will play a key part in the effort to achieve
landscape-scale nature recovery beyond Lyscombe. Natural
regeneration and restoration techniques, such as extensive
grazing blended with traditional conservation management and
working collaboratively with neighbouring farmers and landowners
will all contribute to the creation of a wider nature recovery
network.
This site is also the focus of ambitions to create a new National
Nature Reserve. The vision is a wildlife rich open access NNR
embedded into the rural landscape of which over 14,000 acres is
managed conscientiously by the Dorset Downs farm
cluster.
The NNR will provide excellent opportunities for nature recovery
by joining up priority habitats and linking protected sites and
make space for species to spread across the adjacent restored
farmland.
There are also plans to improve visitor access to this stunning
landscape, particularly on existing footpaths and rights of way.
This will ensure that the site can provide space for people to
reconnect with nature and experience the wonders of this stunning
landscape.
