The Government’s first Land Use Framework for England says that by 2050 higher water quality in rivers and groundwaters, and fewer pollutants entering water courses from fields, roads and homes, will translate to lower treatment costs for water companies than they would otherwise be.

Published on 18th March, the first section of the framework includes a vision for England’s future landscapes, illustrating how a strategic approach, better decision-making and data means land can support house building and infrastructure, a resilient food system, climate mitigation and thriving nature. It is based on the most sophisticated analysis of land use change in England to date which shows that we have enough land to meet our objectives.

Key goals of the framework include:

Landscapes for water

By 2030 - enhanced regional and catchment-scale water planning will involve more land managers and planning authorities to tackle water pollution, reduce flooding and water supply risks, and support growth. Rivers and lakes will have become cleaner, and nature will be returning, thanks to restoration of river corridors and infrastructure upgrades like investment in measures that reduce storm overflows. New urban and transport developments will include more sustainable drainage systems such as ponds and wetlands. Farmers will have a clearer set of farming rules which help them manage impacts on water through actions like reducing soil and nutrient loss to waterbodies.

By 2050 - whilst more frequent extreme weather will mean that many rivers flood more frequently, greater woodland cover, restored peatlands and wilder river habitats will slow flood waters, protecting towns and cities and making the economy more resilient. Towns and cities will absorb rainwater through greener, more permeable streets, roofs and gardens and reduce the amount of rainwater entering drains and contributing to pollution.

Higher water quality in rivers and groundwaters, and fewer pollutants entering water courses from fields, roads and homes, will translate to lower treatment costs for water companies than they would otherwise be.

Resilient landscapes

By 2030 - nature-based solutions will be delivered at pace to support landscape-scale adaptation to and mitigation of climate change impacts. This will include restoring the peatlands, coastal habitats and wetlands that store carbon and reduce flood and wildfire risk to homes, infrastructure and nature, and increasing the tree canopy cover vital for reducing urban overheating.

This will increasingly be funded by private investment and larger landowners who will have the data and policy certainty needed to make long-term investment decisions. Resilience to climate change will also be supported through greater investment in nature-based solutions to, for example, tackling water system challenges.

The largest landowners and the Government Estate will be at the forefront of this change, testing new approaches to multifunctional agriculture like agroforestry, protecting nature and heritage assets, and reporting on actions taken to manage climate risks.

By 2050 - public and private investment will be driving landscape scale restoration, supporting large, connected and resilient ecosystems valued for their ecosystem services.

Landscapes will support diverse habitats in which species thrive in a changing climate – such as mosaics of woodlands and grasslands providing shade from extreme heat. Changes in agricultural land use will have increased the resilience of food production, infrastructure and homes to the impacts of climate change, including support for the farmers who protect downstream communities by holding more flood waters on their land.

Widescale conservation planning will factor in unpreventable changes, such as managing inward coastal change to support biodiversity and buffer coastal communities and heritage sites against flooding and erosion.

Next steps

The first Land Use Framework for England sets out initial steps to tackle the issues raised through the national conversation on land use. When implemented, it will help decision-makers to deliver critical infrastructure, restore nature at scale and maintain domestic food production.

The Government plans to update the framework every five years, to set out progress made and next steps on implementation, including developments on data, tools, collaboration and partnerships.

However - “It is not our intention to use the framework to bind decision-makers or prescribe specific land uses in specific places; we want it to inform decisions, not impose them,” the framework says.