Nutrient Mitigation Call for Land
Introduction
Welcome to Dorset Council's Nitrogen Mitigation Call for Land. We are interested in receiving submissions for land that will help us deliver nitrogen mitigation in the Poole Harbour catchment.
For guidance on why the council needs mitigation projects, the suitability of land and the management changes required, please refer to the Farmer and Landowners Guidance.
Mitigation projects will need to be within Poole Harbour Catchment, illustrated below. For a comprehensive map detailing the Poole Harbour catchment boundary and river network please select the following link: DorsetExplorer.
What Happens Next?
Your answers to the questions will help the council to prioritise mitigation delivery, so please complete the questionnaire with as much information as possible.
The nutrient reduction attributed to the land-use change will take into account previous/current management and outputs from the Natural England calculator for the Poole Harbour catchment.
The council will assess and prioritise sites for consideration in accordance with the assessment criteria in the guidance note. We will aim to provide an initial response within 30 days.
The call for land will be open until 17th January 2025.
If you have any specific queries or would like to discuss anything prior to submitting your information please contact us on: mitigationdelivery@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
Overview
We are interested in receiving submissions from landowners and farmers for land that will help us to deliver nitrogen mitigation in the Poole Harbour catchment. We are primarily looking for mitigation projects that will involve a permanent land-use change. We may consider a limited amount of mitigation involving a temporary land-use change for up to 5 years.
The underlying geology in the Poole Harbour catchment is particularly important for determining land suitability for mitigation. The geology is varied with chalk, a highly permeable rock, forming high downland that drains into groundwater and then into streams and rivers. Nitrates may take years to reach watercourses, so land away from them will be less suitable for delivering development mitigation. Additional hydrogeological surveys will be needed to establish time delays. In the west and east of the catchment, where the geology is sands, clays and gravels and there is more surface runoff, multiple smaller watercourses and drainage ditches, the land will be more suitable for delivering mitigation.
Further background information regarding Dorset Council Nitrogen Reduction Mitigation in Poole Harbour Catchement.