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Lancashire Lifescape

Birds Eye View

The Lancashire Lifescape is an integrated spatial framework for enhancing the biodiversity of Lancashire. It is currently being developed by the County Council, in partnership with English Nature and others.

The aim of the network is to facilitate best value in action on the environment and contribute to achieving sustainable development.

This will be achieved by integrating the principles of the network within:

development planning and control;
biodiversity action planning;
environmental project implementation.

Background

Traditionally nature conservation efforts in the County have focused on the protection of sites and species. However, initiatives it is now apparent that there is the need for a more integrated approach to the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity within the County.

Over most of the county semi-natural habitats and species populations are generally fragmented and separated by intensively farmed land. Consequently they are more susceptible to loss or damage.

The effective conservation of what remains for future generations requires the protection and management of existing important areas and also the reversal of the processes of fragmentation to create coherent areas that are large enough and sufficiently linked to be viable.

Any programme of defragmentation must take account of the physical, historic and economic character of the countryside. This approach should be recognized by, physical land management and development planning.

Such a holistic approach contributes to the effective targeting of resources and action at those areas where they will achieve maximum environmental, landscape and economic benefit.

Work So Far

The Lifescape identifies the spatial relationship between areas of biological diversity within the County at both the landscape and local scales. The analysis of strategic environmental information held within the Planning Services Geographical Information System has led to the identification of the principal network elements in the County at the landscape scale. These are known as Natural Heritage Zones ; they have been incorporated within the Deposit Edition of the Joint Lancashire Structure Plan.

Whilst the development of a spatial framework to guide practical action on defragmentation will benefit a range of habitats and species, it is proposed that the project should focus on identifying detailed local networks for Lancashire BAP habitat and species priorities and targets within the Forest of Bowland. Work is currently being undertaken on grassland, woodland and bog habitats and twite, a species of upland breeding bird.

Map of Natural Heritage Zones

Thumbnail Link to Map of Natural Heritage Zones
(PDF 201kb)
(External)

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Ecological networks are already established in several European countries and one is currently being developed in Cheshire with the support of the European Life Fund.English Nature have recently launched a programme "Lifescapes" to promote this approach. Lifescapes has received Government endorsement in (External) Our Countryside: the future the Government's rural white paper published in November 2000.

Further information on ecological networks is available at the (External) European Centre for Nature Conservation

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