“Think Global, Act Local”
OUR VISION is a future where Shaftesbury is able to meet the challenges of a changing world under threat from climate change and nature loss by recognising that a healthy natural world is the cornerstone to humanity’s very survival as well as human health and happiness.
OUR MISSION is to work with the local community to address and adapt to the climate and nature emergency through a comprehensive plan of action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect and restore nature, working towards a resilient future for Shaftesbury residents and the planet.
For details of the Action Plan please click on the following headings:
Vision Statement and Masterplan
Appendix B: Biodiversity Checklist
Appendix F: Open Spaces Management Plans [in progress]
Appendix G: Useful links/references/leaflets [to be added]
Useful Information:
Carbon Footprint Impact Report – Shaftesbury Town
Are you interested in finding out more about protecting our natural environment, climate and ecology? Have a look at our Shaftesbury Orchard Town and Glyphosate and Bee Friendly pages. Dorset Council has news and resources on their website. You can also sign up to their newsletter and select Climate and Nature to receive a round up of climate news from Dorset Council.
For more on Sustainable Shaftesbury and how it works, please scroll down past News Updates.
news updates
Keep up-to-date with climate change news in Dorset.
THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY: Invitations out to new Dorset summit on recycling waste
Anyone interested in promoting a circular economy in Dorset by reducing waste is being invited to a brand new event taking place in Dorchester next week.
The first Litter Free Dorset Summit 2026 – on Wednesday 14th January at the Shire Hall Museum in central Dorchester – is aimed at ‘bringing together environmentalists, local authorities, community groups and organisations to share ideas and skills, make new connections, and find real solutions to the environmental challenges we face.’
The donation only day-long event, organised by Dorset Climate Action Network, includes a range of expert speakers and interactive workshops to ‘explore implementing circular economy solutions in Dorset.’
If you are interested in attending, you can book your tickets via Eventbrite where there are also details of the speakers, how to get there, parking information and timings. For information on the venue see Shire Hall Museum.
6 January 2026
Shaftesbury is one of Dorset’s top ‘climate active’ town councils
Following in the footsteps of Exmouth Town Council – voted star council climate responder of the year by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) – Shaftesbury has now been named one of the top town councils in Dorset for its response to the climate and nature crisis.
Dorset Climate Action Network has listed it in the top four in Dorset with Bridport, Weymouth and Dorchester Town Councils, along with Green and Healthy Frome in Somerset.
More details on the award to Exmouth Town Council are at: Exmouth Town Council wins a NALC Star Council Award for Climate Response of the Year
How local councils across Britain are responding to the climate and nature crisis
18 December 2025
Dorset cabinet approves publication of county’s first Local Nature Recovery Strategy
Dorset Council’s cabinet this week (9 Dec) approved its eagerly-awaited Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for publication ‘recognising its role as a statutory framework for nature recovery across the county.’
Cabinet also agreed to integrate the LNRS into relevant council policies and decision-making, including planning, land management, climate adaptation, and public health and support the ongoing delivery of the LNRS.
Introduced by council leader and cabinet member for climate, performance and safeguarding at Dorset Council, Cllr Nick Ireland, the cabinet said it ‘acknowledged and thanked the contributions from stakeholders, including BCP Council, Natural England, community groups, farmers, landowners and residents, in shaping the strategy through the development and consultation phase.’
It added its reason for the decision is to ‘ensure Dorset Council complies with DEFRA requirements under the Environment Act 2021 by adopting and integrating the Local Nature Recovery Strategy as a statutory framework. This approach supported the reversal of biodiversity decline, strengthen climate resilience, and guide sustainable land use across the county.’
Links to the relevant documents:
Dorset Local Nature Recovery Strategy PDF 306 KB
Additional documents:
Appendix 1 Dorset Local Nature Recovery Strategy Dec 2025 , item 8. PDF 59 MB
Appendix 3 Dorset Local Nature Recovery Strategy December 2025 , item 8. PDF 86 KB
Appendix 4 Dorset Local Nature Recovery Strategy EqIA – , item 8. PDF 170 KB
12 December 2025
Public invited to comment on the draft Shaftesbury Neighbourhood Plan
Dorset Council is inviting anyone who lives, works or runs a business in Shaftesbury to submit comments on the revised draft Shaftesbury Neighbourhood Plan. The plan is now out for public consultation until Friday 30 January 2026.
Shaftesbury Town Council has been reviewing its Neighbourhood Plan and has now submitted a revised version for examination. This comes four and a half years after the original Shaftesbury Neighbourhood Plan was adopted.
The plan has been reviewed by local people, and agreed by the town council, who feel confident that the updated plan continues to reflect the hopes and views of the local community.
Neighbourhood plans were introduced in the Localism Act 2011 and aim to give residents more say in the future use of land and buildings in their area. For example, the plan can say where new homes, shops or offices might be built, or where important green spaces might be protected. Neighbourhood plans, like all planning documents, benefit from being reviewed from time to time to ensure they are still relevant and continue to meet local needs.
If the neighbourhood plan review is approved following examination, it will be used to make decisions on planning applications.
Dorset Council is required to consult on the plan review before the examination can take place.
People who live, work or run a business in Shaftesbury have until Friday 30 January 2026 to submit comments regarding the revised neighbourhood plan. The plan and any comments received to the consultation will then be passed on to an independent examiner to consider.
Cllr Shane Bartlett, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Planning, said:
“It takes a tremendous amount of work to create a Neighbourhood Plan. It takes even more commitment to review a neighbourhood plan once the first one is adopted. I congratulate all involved for their ongoing hard work.“Neighbourhood plans give local communities a real say in how their area should change over time. I would therefore encourage anyone with an interest in the future development of Shaftesbury to view the proposed changes to the neighbourhood plan and submit any feedback they may have.”
The website can also be used for submitting comments.
Copies of the draft neighbourhood plan will also be available for public inspection at Shaftesbury library during opening hours (telephone: 01747 852256).
Anyone commenting on the plan should let the council know if they wish to be kept informed of the progress of the revised Shaftesbury Neighbourhood Plan.
Shaftesbury Neighbourhood Plan PDF
12 December 2025
Government publishes vital new Environmental Improvement Plan
The Government’s long-awaited latest plan to improve the natural environment and everyone’s enjoyment of it has now been published and SuSAC will be studying its implications for the local area in the new year.
Through 10 goals to restore nature, the new Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) – launched on 1 December through the Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) – sets out how the goals will be delivered by government and what it calls its ‘delivery partners’, including landowners, farmers, businesses, communities and individuals.
The 10 goals are:
• Restore nature
• Air
• Water
• Chemicals and pesticides
• Waste
• Resources
• Climate change
• Reducing environmental hazards
• Biosecurity
• Access to nature
The EIP is not a consultation document but ecology and environmental groups are now being encouraged to say what they think of it and SuSAC will be examining it in more detail for the town council in the new year.
Environmental Improvement Plan PDF
11 December 2025
Cabinet adopts important management plans for both Dorset’s National Landscapes
Dorset Council’s cabinet has adopted the latest management plans for both the Dorset and Cranborne Chase National Landscape areas – formerly known as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
The Cranborne Chase NL area is particularly important for Shaftesbury because it surrounds the town along its eastern and northern boundary. As the area straddles the Dorset/Wiltshire boundary the plan is a joint partnership plan between Dorset and Wiltshire councils.
The cabinet said its decision, on 9 December, was made ‘to ensure that the statutory responsibilities in relation to the National Landscapes were met.’
It said: ‘Section 89 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 required the council to, ‘prepare and publish a Management Plan which formulates [their] policy for the management of the AONB and for carrying out of their functions in relation to it.
‘Adoption of the management plans prepared by each National Landscape, for and on behalf of the local authorities that fall within the protected areas, helped to fulfil this part of the requirement.’
Links to relevant documents:
Dorset National Landscape Management Plan 2026-31 PDF 297 KB
Additional documents:
Appendix 1 Draft Strategy PDF 3 MB
Appendix 2 Accessible Table of Impacts and Table of Recommendations , PDF 90 KB
Appendix 3 2025-11 EqIA Dorset NL Mgt Plan review PDF 360 KB
Adoption of the Cranborne Chase National Landscape Management Plan PDF 407 KB
Additional documents:
Appendix 2 Cranborne Chase National Landscape Partnership Plan. PDF 1 MB
9 December 2025
Butterfly Conservation wants Shaftesbury to become a ‘butterfly friendly town’
Sustainable Shaftesbury Advisory Committee (SUSAC) is supporting an offer from Dorset-based Butterfly Conservation’s to make Shaftesbury a ‘Butterfly Friendly Town’ to complement its existing work to make Shaftesbury a Nature Friendly Town (NFT).
At its meeting this week, members unanimously agreed to take up the charity’s offer as an addition to SuSAC’s production of a NFT framework document it hopes will be taken up by towns and parishes throughout the country.
The NFT framework, launched last summer and supported by Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT), is in the process of being developed by a special working group before seeking the formal approval of Shaftesbury Town Council. As Shaftesbury Town Council’s Sustainable Shaftesbury Action Plan already includes all the elements needed to qualify for butterfly friendly status, SuSAC felt that the Butterfly Conservation’s offer would work best as part of the NFT framework.
Butterfly Conservation, based at East Lulworth and famously supported by TV naturalist Chris Packham, has already said it is ‘happy’ to discuss joint working with DWT.
26 Nov 2025
Dorset Council set to approve Dorset’s new five-year National Landscapes management plan
The Dorset National Landscape Partnership‘s new draft management plan for 2026-2031, which closed for public consultation in September, is due to go to Dorset Council’s cabinet for approval in December.
Dorset Council says the plan, which is a legal requirement, ‘sets out the policies for conserving and enhancing the National Landscape’s natural beauty and will guide future actions for a five-year period’.
‘It builds on previous versions and is supported by other documents such as the Landscape Character Assessment and the Dorset Local Nature Recovery Plan.’
Although focussed mainly on the Dorset National Landscape, formerly AONB, in the south of the county, it also has significance for the Cranborne Chase National Landscape area that surrounds Shaftesbury to the east and north.
24 Nov 2025
Dorset Clean Energy Cluster
A green growth revolution is underway which positions Dorset as a new UK destination for international investment in clean energy. Bringing together private sector organisations, the Dorset Clean Energy Super Cluster (DCESC) is on a mission to unlock investment and align processes to ensure the UK Industrial Strategy can be delivered in Dorset and the English Channel. This will strengthen UK security and resilience, accelerate economic restructuring and transition whilst complementing energy projects in the Celtic Sea and other parts of the UK. Read the full story on Invest in Dorset website.
November 2025
Shaftesbury volunteers a ‘big hit’ at third Dorset COP
Shaftesbury volunteers scored a big hit with their presentation on how Shaftesbury is meeting the climate and nature emergency at the third Dorset COP at The Exchange in Sturminster Newton on 1st November 2025.
For some of the 300 or so people from all over Dorset and beyond who attended the day-long event dedicated to ‘turning environmental ambition into action’ it was the highlight of the programme.
Thanking volunteers Amber Harrison, Jen Hirsch, Joe Hashman and Richard Thomas for what she called an ‘excellent session’, event organiser Jenny Morisetti said feedback from attendees had described the Shaftesbury presentation on ‘Nature Recovery’ as ‘the highlight of the day’ for some.
“I know how much work you put into it and I hope you were pleased to have the opportunity to showcase the work of SuSAC,’ said Jenny Morisetti. “I’m sure you’ve inspired other towns, communities and councils to create something similar.”
The volunteers are all members of Sustainable Shaftesbury Advisory Committee (SuSAC), a formal committee of Shaftesbury Town Council that advises the council on how best to meet the rising challenge from climate change and nature loss.
Shaftesbury Town Council is unique among Dorset’s town and village councils in having a series of volunteer-run expert advisory committees to advise it on a variety of issues.
SuSAC’s Jen Hirsch and Amber Harrison spoke about Shaftesbury’s original Nature Friendly Town framework, Joe Hashman followed on Shaftesbury’s developing Orchard Town reputation, and Richard Thomas concluded with SuSAC’s pioneering vision for a nature friendly ‘Green Wheel’ around Shaftesbury.
The hope is that ‘green wheels’ – subtitled ‘a turning point for nature’ – might surround every town and village to encourage links or ‘spokes’ for wildlife between the countryside and town and village centres.
More information on SuSAC is on this website. Further details about Dorset COP 25 can be found at https://dorsetcop.info/2025-programme.
Report by Richard Thomas, chair of Sustainable Shaftesbury Advisory Committee.
Photos are courtesy of SuSAC member Lucy Young.
November 2025
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Wiltshire launches ‘on demand’ bus service to Shaftesbury
Wiltshire Council has launched ‘Wiltshire Connect’, an on-demand bus service in south-west Wiltshire, covering Warminster, Mere, and extending into Dorset to Shaftesbury and Gillingham.
Operating Monday to Saturday, it offers flexible booking via a smartphone app or phone, and replaces existing local routes 54 and 58 and the Mere taxi-bus routes. The service aims to reduce rural isolation and improve access to essential services and attractions such as Longleat and Stourhead.
The fleet includes modern, disability accessible vehicles, one of which is electric, supporting sustainable travel. The service also connects to rail stations at Warminster, Gillingham, Tisbury, and Frome, and complements the timetabled Frome Bus 57/A between Warminster, Mere, and Gillingham.
October 2025
CARBON ZERO: Dorset Council has announced measures to meet carbon targets early
A string of climate initiatives aimed at achieving its carbon reduction targets five years ahead of schedule have been announced by Dorset Council. The council says this reaffirms its commitment to achieving net zero by 2035 for the council and 2045 for the wider county.
The measures, supported by approximately £93 million, mostly from government grants, include:
– transitioning to electric vehicles
– retrofitting homes for energy efficiency
– expanding EV charging infrastructure
– converting streetlights to energy-efficient bulbs
– installing over 13,000 solar panels on council buildings.
Plans are also underway to introduce on-street EV chargers in towns with limited off-street parking and explore renewable energy opportunities such as offshore wind and small modular nuclear reactors. The council has also launched a climate change panel involving residents to guide future actions.
October 2025
DORSET FARMS: Dorset Council announces a ten-year farms estate strategy
Dorset Council has announced a ten-year Farms Estate Strategy 2026–2036 aimed at securing the future of farming and local food production in the region. The strategy supports new entrants into agriculture through two tenancy routes: Starter Farms with up to 12-year terms and Progression Farms with up to 25-year terms.
It includes a £12 million investment plan to modernise and repair the council’s 5,000-acre Farms Estate made up of almost 60 ‘assets’ (farms).
The strategy prioritises keeping land in farming while allowing for sustainable and strategic alternative uses and is intended to align with Dorset’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy that aims for 70% of council farms to adopt sustainable practices by 2030, enhancing soil health and with access to government support schemes.
October 2025
Sustainable Shaftesbury Advisory Committee
Sustainable Shaftesbury Advisory Committee (SuSAC) is a formal committee of Shaftesbury Town Council that operates through a series of working groups. It meets monthly and its meetings are open to the general public.
Upcoming meeting dates, along with the minutes from past meetings are available on the Sustainable Shaftesbury Advisory Committee (SuSAC) page.
SuSAC working groups
The working groups are now reviewing their relevant parts of the Sustainable Shaftesbury Action Plan 2024-2031. Please contact the named leads c/o Shaftesbury Town Hall if you have your own suggestions for improvements. (Nov 2025).
Biodiversity/Nature Friendly Town/Orchard Town: Amber Harrison (co-lead), Jen Hirsch (co-lead), Lucy Young, Mike Cummings, Bernard Ede, Joe Hashman, Sue Clifford, Angela King, Gideon King, John Nelson, Christina Strickland, Richard Thomas
Green Wheel sub-group: Sue Clifford (co-lead), Angela King (co-lead), Mike Cummings, Bernard Ede, John Nelson, Christina Strickland, Richard Thomas, Lucy Young
Circular economy: In partnership with Shaftesbury & District Chamber of Commerce.
Clean air & dark skies: Vacant
Food: Lucy Young (lead)
Energy & retrofitting: Jennifer Morisetti (lead), Richard Thomas
Health & wellbeing: Vacant
Local transport & footpaths: John Nelson (lead), Joe Hashman (Shaftesbury Rights of Way volunteer warden)
Planning: Mike Cummings (lead), Bernard Ede, Chris Maude, Richard Thomas
Waste & recycling: Vacant
Water (rivers, streams and ponds): Mike Cummings (lead), John Nelson
Community worksheds: Cllr Lester Dibben (lead)
All working group leads welcome input from anyone in the community with an interest in the subject who would like to help develop ideas and make positive things happen. Contact is c/o the Town Hall office@shaftesbury-tc.gov.uk
Partners of Sustainable Shaftesbury: Butterfly Conservation, Cranborne Chase National Landscape, Dorset Wildlife Trust, National Trust in Dorset, Dorset CPRE, Dorset Climate Action Network, Great Big Dorset Hedge Project, Hilltop Litter Pickers, Planet Shaftesbury, Shaftesbury Arts & Culture Advisory Committee, Shaftesbury Home Grown, Shaftesbury Neighbourhood Plan Advisory Committee, Shaftesbury Tree Group.