DORSET is in a “nature emergency”.

The declaration came at a meeting of Dorset Council on Thursday (July 18), when it was backed by members.

The motion, put forward by leader Cllr Nick Ireland (Lib Dems, Crossways), urged council members to recognise nature is in decline and urgent action is needed to reverse it.

The majority of councillors backed the declaration, with 54 voting to pass the motion, 20 against and four abstaining.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Ireland noted that the council would not be starting from scratch.

He said work is already underway to develop a Local Nature Recovery Strategy for the county, which has seen the council work closely with farmers, landowners, businesses, and organisations to identify priorities, opportunities and actions to recover nature in Dorset.

The declaration commits to further supporting this work, as well as embedding nature’s recovery at the heart of the council’s plans.

Following on from its climate and ecological emergency declaration in 2019, the council said the new declaration will help strengthen ambitions to create a carbon neutral, nature positive and resilient Dorset as outlined in the authority’s Natural Environment, Climate and Ecology strategy.

Cllr Ireland, who is also cabinet member for climate, said: “The UK is now widely recognised as one of the world’s most nature-depleted countries and it is critical that we take steps to address this.

“A thriving natural environment not only makes Dorset a beautiful place to live, it also underpins our local economy and provides the essential things we need to survive like the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink.

“Nature based solutions will also play a huge role in helping our county respond to environmental issues like flooding, climate change, and poor water quality.”

Other commitments in the declaration include removing and restricting the use of glyphosate and other chemicals damaging to nature, reducing pressure on wildlife and wildlife corridors, and improving access to nature – particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

To find out more on the council’s plans for nature, visit www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/nature-recovery.