Draft LNRS for Hampshire

Introduction

• Who we are
• Background to the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Hampshire
• Engagement work to get us to this point

Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity (APIB):

Includes:

• National conservation sites
• Local Nature Reserves
• Local Wildlife Sites (SINCs)
• Irreplaceable habitat

(23.3% of Hampshire’s land area)

Priority Outcomes

A long-list of priorities was created from:

• A series of stakeholder workshops held between January and March 2024.
• An online public survey on priorities for nature recovery.
• A review of local plans and strategies, including local biodiversity action plans and catchment management plans.

These were shortlisted in priorities for recovering or enhancing that were critical to address in the Strategy, taking into consideration the contribution to other environmental benefits.

The aim of the shortlist is to have a set of priorities that:

• Contribute to the National Environmental Objectives.
• Address the opportunities and pressures identified in the description of the Strategy area.
• Sufficiently cover the variation of landscapes and ecosystems in the Strategy area.
• Balance the contributions from a range of stakeholders, from local experts through to local residents.
• Is a manageable number where delivery is possible over a reasonable number of years (LNRS timeframe is 3-10 yrs)

Examples of Priority Outcomes & Potential Measures

Chalk Streams, rivers, other watercourses, headwaters and groundwater protection zones

Examples of Priority Outcomes & Potential Measures

Species-rich grasslands – further subdivided into Priority grassland types

Examples of Priority Outcomes & Potential Measures

Heathland and acid grassland mosaics

Examples of Priority Outcomes & Potential Measures

Wood pasture and parkland

Examples of Priority Outcomes & Potential Measures

Coastal

Areas that Could Become of Importance for Biodiversity (ACB)

(12.6% of Hampshire’s land area)

APIB and ACB maps combined for the New Forest

Measures

(21.6% of Hampshire’s land area)

All measures for the New Forest

Selected Measures for the New Forest

Includes designated sites and other areas that connect to designated sites and priority habitats, following the Lawton principles of:

• Bigger
• Better
• More joined up

Selected Measures for Rivers and Riparian Buffers and Solent Wader & Brent Geese sites

Selected Measures: SINCs and RVEIs

Hectarage of habitat actively managed, restored or created

(includes SINCs for some measures)

G2:

Restoration of species-rich grassland

G3:

Creation of species-rich grassland

H2:

Restore lowland heathland from forestry and secondary woodland

H3:

Create lowland heathland from arable land, improved grassland, and following mineral extraction

PP1:

Restore and manage lowland wood pasture and parkland and the planting of new trees to ensure succession

C2 -

Management and restoration of coastal saltmarsh

C3 -

Creation of inter-tidal and saline habitat on arable land, or on intensive grassland or by non-intervention

R1 -

Creation and management of buffer strips on land next to watercourses

Priority Species

• Long list of 1,618 species generated by HBIC using the Defra criteria
• Species Recovery workshop attended by 75 species experts covering many of the taxon groups
• 414 Priority Species were selected for the shortlist (with full audit trail), of which:
  • 68 are Priority Species (not included in assemblages) including:
    • 2 species are recovery class A – expansion/connectivity, that do not, therefore, require specific management measures.
    • 21 species are class B, where targeted management measures are required.
    • 2 species are class C, where only other environment improvements are required (water quality and air quality improvements).
    • 26 species are class D, where bespoke management measures are required.
    • The remaining 16 species are in a mix of recovery classes where measures are assumed but more evidence would be useful. This should not preclude action to restore populations based on current thinking. would be useful.
  • 346 species are in 37 assemblages, of which 5 assemblages (covering 119 species) are confined wholly to the New Forest SSSI. These do not, therefore, require management measures in addition to those already covered in the SSSI/SAC management plans. They are present in the priority assemblage list for the purposes of awareness raising.
  • The remaining species occur within assemblages where more generic but targeted measures can be applied to their habitat. Those that need more bespoke measures within an assemblage usually applies to one aspect of their life cycle e.g. for breeding or feeding and this is covered in the table as far as possible. A few species occur across several recovery classes.

Priority Species – example of an assemblage

Priority species assemblages for birds - farmland birds

Measures

Aim for a range of different crops and habitats, including fallow areas throughout the year, and retain areas of stubble. Create and manage set aside areas that could support a mosaic of scrub, species-rich grassland, rough grassland, beetle banks, some bare ground, and ponds or small wader scrapes to provide water and muddy edges. Reduce pesticide use to increase insect and small mammal numbers, and to reduce secondary poisoning of barn owls. Manage hay meadows to produce a range of seeds for seed eating species. Create areas of scrub and avoid cutting all hedgerows annually to allow them to develop.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies and landowners - farming

LNRS for Hampshire suggests the best actions in the best locations, from small nature-friendly schemes to large-scale habitat restoration

Sets out local priorities and the measures needed to achieve those priorities, and the wider environmental benefits that would flow from them – such as improved water quality, soil health, carbon capture and flood protection

It won’t require you to change how you use your land. It will help you make informed choices and see where there are opportunities for working with adjacent land managers on landscape-scale nature recovery. If you want to do nature recovery work in an area that isn’t prioritised in the LNRS, you still can.

All sites and areas identified in the Strategy are subject to existing land use and ownership constraints, and any prevailing constraints or conditions on site. Inclusion on the map does not automatically guarantee that it is possible to create that habitat in these areas. Maps are based on best available evidence. Any habitat creation schemes will need thorough investigation and appropriate consent.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies and landowners - development

The mapped areas do not prevent development from taking place. However, it is advised that developers and planners consider how developments can make a positive contribution towards the recommended measures in that area. The maps will also guide and incentivise landowners to create or enhance habitats for biodiversity net gain (BNG) by providing an increase in uplift through the Strategic Significance Multiplier

NPPF Para 192. To protect and enhance biodiversity and geodiversity, (local) plans should: (a) Identify, map and safeguard components of local wildlife-rich habitats and wider ecological networks, including the hierarchy of international, national and locally designated sites of importance for biodiversity; wildlife corridors and stepping stones that connect them; and areas identified by national and local partnerships for habitat management, enhancement, restoration or creation.

Timeline