New Forest National Park Authority Local Plan Regulation 19
5.
Climate Change Strategic Objective to support development that adapts and mitigates against the impacts of climate change 3. Plan for and adapt to the impacts of climate change on the landscape species, character, cultural heritage, special qualities and communities of the New Forest, including energy-efficient development. To support Partnership Plan Themes: Climate, Nature, People, Place, Partnership Reflecting the following special qualities: • The New Forest’s outstanding natural beauty • Strong and distinctive local communities • A unique historic cultural and archaeological heritage • A healthy environment
5.1.
Climate change is here, impacting communities and biodiversity within the National Park, and those impacts will continue to become more intense and widespread over the coming decades. It poses a long-term challenge for us all to address and has the potential to have a significant impact unless suitable measures are placed. Within the remit of the Local Plan, this means recognising that the natural and built environment plays a significant role in maximising opportunities for carbon capture and ensuring the longevity of our natural resources. As a National Park, with protected landscape status, the Authority has a duty to protect the special qualities of the New Forest, which are considered particularly sensitive to the impacts of climate change. The need to address climate change and maintain the National Park’s outstanding natural beauty should be addressed cohesively and seek to support the longevity of the New Forest as a designated asset with wildlife and heritage not found anywhere else within the UK.
5.2.
Currently climate change is associated with warmer and wetter winter seasons, drier and hotter summers, rising sea levels and an increased frequency of extreme weather events. The New Forest National Park is likely to experience increased summer temperatures of around 5°C by the end of this century12. Summer rainfall is expected to decrease by around 40% with winter rainfall up by around 20%. Sea level rise may be up by around 50cm, but possibly 75cm in worst-case scenarios. Development will need to mitigate and adapt to these changes, among other impacts, to ensure climate change does not have a detrimental impact on protected sites or the special qualities of the National Park. Building now means building for this future reality.
12 Past and Future Climate Projections for the New Forest National Park (based on 25km resolution
data). The grey numbers shown are the median (central) results for a low (RCP2.5) and high emission scenario (RCP 8.5). Future projections are relative to the average of the period 1981 to 2000.
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