The Dorset Council has declared a Climate Emergency and is being urged to recognise that this is also an emergency for Dorset’s ecology and environment. This emergency calls for fresh thinking and a new strategic vision about the linked challenges of climate emergency, environment, and ecology. Dorset’s exceptional biodiversity, geodiversity and landscape diversity are spectacular and world class. They are a vital national as well as local asset. Yet Dorset’s environment and

The following makes the case for Dorchester and its landscape to be included in the Dorset & East Devon National Park. The full report can be found HERE. Dorchester and the boundary of the proposed Dorset and East Devon National Park: why Dorchester and its landscape setting should be included within the proposed National Park. Executive Summary. 1. Should a National Park be designated, the Dorchester Civic Society wishes to see Dorchester and its surrounding landscape settin

The Dorset National Park Team congratulates all those successful in the local elections. We look forward to working with the Dorset Council and communities to secure Dorset’s long-overdue National Park, a designation that would keep our environment special and help our communities and economy to be thriving, successful and sustainable. Dorset’s environment and heritage are loved by the people of Dorset: 94% of Dorset residents say a high-quality natural environment is of grea

Two innovative farm diversification schemes have been given the green light by the South Downs National Park Authority. These projects illustrate how a National Park’s policies and their positive, constructive approach to land management can help farming businesses and landowners benefit from diversification. Work has now started to create a rural business park anchored by the Wiston Estate Winery. The plans include demolishing, converting, and extending the current winery an

In the 70 years since the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949, a high proportion of England’s most outstanding landscapes and important natural habitats have become “Designated Landscapes.” But more remains to be done, including securing a National Park for Dorset & East Devon. The government-appointed Glover Review, as part of its wide-ranging review of Designated Landscapes, is considering whether to recommend possible new designations. The Review Panel

Dorset CPRE supports the designation of a Dorset National Park Getting out and about around Dorset's outstanding countryside and coast, and our towns and villages, is a tonic and a boost to our health and wellbeing, whatever the season or the weather – says Dorset CPRE. National research finds that having access to the countryside and green spaces is important for physical and mental health, and CPRE supports calls by the Rural Services Network and others for more sustainable

This report by Cumulus Consulting outlines the benefits that National Park designation could deliver for Dorset’s economy. It assembles and summarises evidence from a range of sources to make a compelling case for a National Park that would benefit all of Dorset. It notes, for example, how a National Park would strengthen Dorset’s brand, providing major opportunities for a range of businesses, how it would strengthen efforts to attract inward investment as well as secure incr

A paper by Alison Tingley, Liaison Officer to the South Downs Land Managers Group, offers a range of practical Case Studies that illustrate how farmers and landowners have been helped for example to diversify and adapt farm buildings. It notes the important roles played by the South Downs Land Managers Group whose membership includes those who are members of the CLA and NFU. It notes where more progress is needed and offers lessons for the future. Read Alison Tingley's Case S

Below is an excerpt from an article on the South Downs National Park website. “We want to introduce ourselves to the people who enjoy spending time here and end the perception that farmers are old-fashioned or unapproachable.” Dominic Gardner is part of a network of National Park farmers staring in short films about their work. “Being a farmer makes you very aware that we’re only here for a short time but what we do can have a massive impact,” says Dominic Gardner, who runs L

A new paper by Phil Belden (former Director of Operations at the South Downs National Park) discusses how the South Downs has approached the key relationship with the farming and land management community at both the local and strategic level. Under the SDNP Local Plan, new policies are supportive of farming, including enabling diversification to increase its long-term viability, construction of new agricultural and forestry buildings, and facilitating the re-use of redundant