The area covered by the strategy includes Lancashire's 12 districts, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool and covers an area of 3,066 square kilometres, with a population of 1.53 million.  It also includes a small part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.   Lancashire is divided into 11 National Character Areas (NCAs), each representing a distinctly different landscape and following natural lines in the landscape not county or district boundaries:

• Bowland Fells
• Bowland Fringe and Pendle Hill
• Lancashire and Amounderness Plain
• Lancashire Coal Measures
• Lancashire Valleys
• Manchester Pennine Fringe
• Morecambe Bay Limestones
• Morecambe Coast and Lune Estuary
• Sefton Coast
• Southern Pennines
• Yorkshire Dales

The <full Draft Strategy Document> contains a description of these areas, the habitats that make them up, and the species they support.

Broad habitat type condition and priorities:

To cover the different types of places and spaces across Lancashire seven broad habitat types have been identified:

• Aquatic (water based) & wetlands
• Coastal & estuarine (the tidal area where rivers meet the sea)
• Grasslands (including farmland)
• Lowland & upland peatland
• Rocky habitats
• Urban & infrastructure networks (e.g. roads, rail, bridges and buildings)
• Wooded habitats & trees

The following section summarises the current condition of the broad habitat types and the priorities associated with those habitats to help improve them.

Aquatic and wetland

The condition of Aquatic (water based) habitats across Lancashire varies significantly, as does the number of different ways to assess them. However, broadly speaking, they are not in good condition.

A total of 88% of Lancashire’s surface water bodies were classified as having ‘moderate’ water quality, and all of our waterbodies failed in the Chemical Status of the Water Framework Directive Water Bodies assessment.

In respect of aquatic and wetland species, water voles have undergone one of the most serious declines of any wild mammal in Britain during the 20th century, having been lost from 94% of places where they were once widespread. In Lancashire, although oystercatcher have shown an increase of 12%, our breeding curlew, lapwing and snipe are all in decline.  The Ribble Rivers Trust use trout and salmon as indicators of catchment health, which allows identification of locations in poor condition. Both species are showing a concerning decline across the catchment. 

There are four Priorities covering Aquatics and Wetlands:

• Enhanced existing river, stream and watercourse network and associated floodplains in Lancashire.
• Natural river processes restored, with habitats connected along water courses and between their flood plains.
• A restored and connected healthy freshwater and wetland landscape in Lancashire.
• Catchments resilient to water quantity extremes.

Coastal and estuarine

Lancashire's coastal area spans from Silverdale Cricket Club just south of Far Arnside to Sefton. This large expanse of coastline has several main estuaries (the tidal area where rivers meet the sea), the Ribble, Wyre, Lune, Keer, Kent and Leven with many smaller channels that feed into the coastline. There are also extensive areas of river, coastal and estuary Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

Sand dunes, which are formed over many years, occur around the coastline and are increasingly vulnerable to human activities and invasive plant species, as well as climate change (resulting weather and sea conditions). The presence of three large golf courses on Lancashire's dune land has saved extensive areas of semi-natural vegetation, including the largest remaining areas of dune heath, from built development. However, without sensitive management of routine golf course operations such as drainage, irrigation, tree-planting, mowing, fertilising and re-seeding then their biodiversity value is at risk.

There are three Priorities covering Coastal and Estuarine:

• Coastal habitats connected with wider ecosystems particularly transitional habitats.
• Naturally functioning coastal systems with dynamic processes forming embryonic and transitional habitats.
• Expanded, enhanced and preserved coastal and estuarine habitat important to Lancashire.

Grassland (including agricultural land)

Semi-natural grassland is one of the most threatened habitats in the UK, with a reported 97% loss of semi-natural enclosed grasslands in England and Wales between 1930 and 1984.

Most semi-natural grassland in England has been improved to benefit agricultural production, and the grasslands in Lancashire are no exception.  The more natural and species-rich sites that remain are often small and isolated but can still support communities of specialised plant and animal species. Healthy grasslands are a very important store for carbon.

There are three Priorities covering Grassland (Including agricultural land):

• Ecologically important grasslands preserved and managed for biodiversity.
• A connected network of biodiverse grassland habitats.
• Sustainably managed agricultural land with maximised biodiversity value, generating wider environmental benefits.

Peatland

Lancashire contains approximately 135,000 hectares (or approximately 190,000 football pitches) of peat soils, according to Natural England’s Peaty Soils layer.

Many of our peatlands are in a continuing state of degradation and much of our lowland peat is currently used for intensive farming. Winmarleigh Moss SSSI is the largest area of lowland raised bog remaining in Lancashire and is the only one that survives in anything like its original condition.  At least 95% of the lowland peat mosses that were existing in Lancashire in 1948 have now been lost, mainly due to it being reclaimed for farming, peat extraction, repeated burning or afforestation. There is no specific data on the condition of Lancashire's upland peat habitats, although it is expected that similar rates of loss will apply to Lancashire's upland peat habitats over the same period.

There are three Priorities covering Lowland Peatland Habitats:

• Sustainable land use of lowland peat soils creating a mosaic of peatland habitats supporting a variety of species.
• Lowland peatlands and their supporting habitats restored and connected at a landscape-scale.
• Active growing lowland peatlands supporting rich biodiversity.

There are three Priorities covering Upland Peatland Habitats:

• Functioning upland peatlands forming peat at a landscape-scale.
• A mosaic of upland peatland, non-peatland and connecting transitional habitats in the uplands supporting a variety of species.
• Sustainable land use and management of upland peat soils.

Rocky habitats

Rocky habitats, some of which are natural and some of which are man-made, are found throughout Lancashire. Lancashire's limestone pavements are nationally rare habitats with 45% of their area having been damaged or destroyed by quarrying activity. In 1990, only 3% of the area left remained undamaged.

Post-industrial sites including former quarries, drained reservoirs, disused railways, and certain types of industrial tips have been naturally taken over by a wide range of plant and animal communities such as at Mere Sands Wood Nature Reserve. These sites are valuable for their biodiversity and there is a need to recognise their importance in the context of pressure for development or redevelopment and a need to manage them appropriately to enhance their biodiversity value.

There are three Priorities covering Rocky Habitats:

• Limestone pavement habitats with high biodiversity value.
• Rocky outcrops and features with high biodiversity value (including outcrops, cliff faces, ledges, crevices, seepages, scree and boulders).
• Biodiversity value of geological features, rocky habitats and artificial habitats arising from past industry and development is maximised.

Wooded habitats and trees

Lancashire is home to a range of habitat types relating to trees and woodland, including trees, hedgerows, scrub, orchards, woodlands, wood pasture and parkland, wet woodland, and commercial forestry. However, tree and woodland cover is approximately 10.34% (2022 National Forest Inventory figures), this is below the North-West average for woodland cover (12.57%) and the England average at 14.87%.

Up to 40% of England’s ancient woodlands have been cleared and replanted with non-native timber species. The way in which trees and woodland are established and managed will influence their biodiversity and the other benefits they provide. Lack of management of existing woodlands is leading to poor condition and replanting is often required. Grazing by deer is one of the main pressures, with deer populations that may be higher than at any other time in the last 1000 years.  

There are two Priorities covering Wooded Habitats and Trees:

• Biodiversity value of existing wooded habitats is maximised.
• Woodland and wooded habitats expanded and connected with biodiverse woodland creation and tree cover in appropriate locations on a landscape scale.

Urban habitats (including infrastructure networks)

Urban habitats occur in built up areas and Infrastructure Networks include for example roads, rail, bridges and buildings. Throughout Lancashire's long history, changes in agriculture, industry, society and the environment have had a profound and lasting influence over the landscape and urban environment. Our industrial past has left us with many brownfield sites, including open mosaic habitats on previously developed land, which have considerable biodiversity value. The increased demand for housing is putting pressure on brownfield sites for residential development.

The most important habitats in the urban environment are the open spaces within towns, cities and built-up areas. It is essential that nature is at the heart of urban regeneration to create well-designed, attractive, investable places that are good for people, climate, and the economy.

There are four Priorities covering Urban Habitats (including Infrastructure Networks):

• Suitable habitats and features created and maintained to support thriving populations of urban species important to Lancashire.
• Maximised biodiversity value of new and existing urban environments and infrastructure networks.
• Increased connectivity of habitats through and between urban landscapes.
• Biodiverse publicly accessible spaces and routes.