Strategic significance

Strategic significance is one of the inputs of the Statutory Biodiversity Metric (SBM) which contributes towards the calculation of Biodiversity Units (BU). It is a multiplier within the calculation that responds to the local significance of the habitat based on its location and the habitat type.

When a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) has been published, you should use the relevant published LNRS. In the interim, prior to the LNRS being published, the tables below should be used to assign strategic significance.

Strategic Significance for area-based habitats in New Forest District:

High	Formally identified in local strategy	Priority habitats within Biodiversity Opportunity Areas (BOAs) - Section 31 32 and 36 of Hampshire Biodiversity Partnership Opportunity Areas - Statements. National and International statutory protected sites (Ramsar, SAC, SPA, SSSI, NNR) Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs) Solent Waders and Brent Goose Strategy Sites (SWBGS) (excluding candidate and low use sites) Road Verges of Ecological Importance (RVEI) Irreplaceable habitats
Medium	Location ecologically desirable but not in local strategy	Habitats included in the Ecological Network opportunities mapping produced by Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre (HBIC) Candidate and low use sites in SWBGS
Low	Area/compensation not in local strategy/ no local strategy	All other area-based habitats

Interim definition of strategic significance for hedgerow units in New Forest District:

High	Formally identified in local strategy	All very high and high distinctiveness hedgerows as defined by the Statutory Biodiversity Metric
Medium	Location ecologically desirable but not in local strategy	All medium distinctiveness hedgerows as defined by the Statutory Biodiversity Metric
Low	Area/compensation not in local strategy/ no local strategy	All low and very low distinctiveness hedgerows as defined by the Statutory Biodiversity Metric

High

Formally identified in local strategy

All very high and high distinctiveness hedgerows as defined by the Statutory Biodiversity Metric

Medium

Location ecologically desirable but not in local strategy

All medium distinctiveness hedgerows as defined by the Statutory Biodiversity Metric

Low

Area/compensation not in local strategy/ no local strategy

All low and very low distinctiveness hedgerows as defined by the Statutory Biodiversity Metric

Interim definition of strategic significance for hedgerow units in New Forest District:

High	Formally identified in local strategy	Rivers (priority habitat) All other rivers and streams (including all ephemeral streams) Ditches/Canals within statutory and non-statutory designated sites and priority habitats All culverts, channels or mill leats that link high priority rivers, streams, ditches and canals
Medium	Location ecologically desirable but not in local strategy	Ditches and canals without designations
Low	Area/compensation not in local strategy/ no local strategy	All other flow paths and dry drainage channels

When is the LNRS expected to be published?

The timeline of actions for the Hampshire LNRS is available on the Hampshire County Council website. Statutory Public Consultation of draft LNRS is expected to be undertaken in Autumn / Winter 2024 with the final publication expected in July 2025.

A link to the public consultation shall be provided here when available.

Period of Transition to use of LNRS for strategic significance

Defra has recently published further guidance on the association between the LNRS and the strategic significance multiplier within the SBM.

The key points of note are:

pre-development baseline values submitted prior to the published LNRS should remain unchanged
if the LNRS is published during a live application or prior to discharge of the pre-commencement condition, then the initial post-development baseline value is to be updated
if a LNRS has already been published, then for new, non-exempt, applications submitted they must follow guidance in Table 7, page 28 of the user guide
for baselines already secured through a legal obligation, Defra anticipates these agreements will likely contain clauses that will set out what happens for such cases