Lyscombe: Wildlife haven enables 3,700 new homes, government says

Land at Lyscombe was bought by Dorset Wildlife Trust and Natural England

The creation of a new nature reserve will enable the building of 3,700 new homes, the government says.

Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) previously announced it had partnered with Natural England to buy 833 acres (335ha) of former farmland and downs at Lyscombe, between Dorchester and Blandford Forum.

It said the deal would reduce pollution in Poole Harbour.

The government said the reduction would offset the environmental impact of homes, allowing them to be built.

Rob Farrington from the trust said the land would be less intensively farmed in the future

Rob Farrington, the trust's head of wilder landscapes, said the harbour was "on the precipice of ecological collapse" because of agricultural run-off and sewage.

He said the former farmland would be grazed less intensively in future, to reduce the excessive amount of nutrients draining from the land into the sea.

The trust's other plans include restoring wetland and improving public access.

Poole Harbour suffers badly from agricultural run-off and sewage, Mr Farrington said

Developers will be able to buy Nutrient Mitigation Scheme credits to offset their housebuilding projects, the government said.

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."

The land purchase is the most expensive in the history of Dorset Wildlife Trust

DWT said Lyscombe, bought from a private landowner and farmer, was its most expensive land purchase.

About 123 acres (50ha) of the site - a conservation area on chalk slopes - was bought by Natural England and leased back to the trust to manage.

The trust's chief executive Brian Bleese said: "Projects like Lyscombe ensure that development also contributes to environmental improvements."

In September 2023, the House of Lords blocked the government's plan to relax restrictions on water pollution to encourage housebuilding in England.

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