In 2024, following on from similar work in 2014 and 2018, we prepared a ‘State of the National Landscape Report’ www.forestofbowland.com/state-NL-report - a summary of which is produced here to provide a snapshot of the current condition of the protected landscape.
The indicators below have been chosen to reflect the wide range of work that takes place within the National Landscape in support of delivering the Management Plan. All indicators have been measured using the most recent data releases.
Nature
Almost one third, 32.5%, of the Forest of Bowland NL is designated for nature conservation.
Priority Habitats are well represented:
| Priority Habitat |
Hectares covered |
% of NL area covered |
| Peatland |
21,100 |
26 |
| Grassland |
500 |
0.6 |
| Woodland |
2,762 |
3.4 |
| Wetland |
1,671 |
2.1 |
| Rivers |
411 km |
|
Source: Forest of Bowland Nature Recovery Plan, 2023
There are 22 SSSI's within the Forest of Bowland National Landscape, covering an area of over 16,387ha or 20.4% of the national Landscape area. Of these:
- 5% are in a favourable condition (this was 6.7% in 2014)
- 77.3% are in an unfavourable but recovering condition (this was 78.8% in 2014)
- 3.4% are in an unfavourable, no change condition
- 14.3% are in an unfavourable, declining condition
Source: Natural England
The are currently 569 live agreements under the Countryside and Environmental Stewardship schemes across the Forest of Bowland National Landscape, these agreements cover a total of 38,000ha which equates to 47.1% of the National Landscape.
Source: DEFRA Protected Landscapes Targets and Outcomes Framework Total area of land managed under agri-environment schemes and total value of agri-environment schemes within Protected Landscapes 2024
Water
- 46.2% waterbodies (river, canals, and surface water transfers) within the Forest of Bowland National Landscape have a 'high' or 'good' status – this was 48.8% in 2014
- 26.4% waterbodies (river, canals, and surface water transfers) within the Forest of Bowland National Landscape have a 'moderate' status – this was 45.9% in 2014
Source: Defra Analysis, PLTOF data 2024
Climate
The table below shows the greenhouse gas emissions data for the Forest of Bowland for 2022 by sector both in KtC02e (all gases shown as equivalent to C02) and as a percentage of the total emissions, this is also shown as a comparison with the Government’s Department for Energy and Net Zero (DESNEZ) national figures.
| |
Forest of Bowland |
DESNZ National |
| |
KtCO2e |
% |
% |
| Industry |
16.7 |
5.3 |
16 |
| Commercial |
3.8 |
1.2 |
9 |
| Public Sector |
1.9 |
0.6 |
|
| Domestic |
28.3 |
9.0 |
22 |
| Transport |
54.6 |
17.4 |
31 |
| Land Use & Forestry |
-22.2 |
-7.1 |
|
| Agriculture |
224.3 |
71.5 |
13 |
| Waste |
6.3 |
2.0 |
|
| Total |
313.7 |
100 |
|
Source: Defra PLTOF analysis
NB Agricultural emissions account for a high proportion of total greenhouse gas emissions within the Forest of Bowland due to the area’s predominantly upland livestock farming systems, low levels of industrial and commercial activity, and the presence of land use and forestry as a net carbon sink. Emissions are primarily methane and nitrous oxide, which are difficult to abate and scale with land area rather than population. The resulting sectoral profile is therefore characteristic of protected rural landscapes and should not be interpreted as indicating unusually intensive farming practices.
People
Using information from the 2021 Census the population of the Forest of Bowland National Landscape is 17,500.
98% of this population is classed as White.
The average age for people living within the Forest of Bowland is 46. The average age for England is 41.
The average earnings per calendar month (PCM) of the population living within the Forest of Bowland National Landscape is £2,150, this is below the England (£2,350) average.
The house purchase affordability ratio for the Forest of Bowland National Landscape is given as 9 (mean house price is 9x mean income) this is lower than the national average for Protected Landscapes ratio of 11 but higher than the England ratio of 8.
Sources of data: Defra analysis, Census 2021, ONS
Place
Farming
In 2021 in the National Landscape
- 33.5% of farms were under 20ha in size (27% in 2014)
- 27.4% were over 100ha in size (same as 2014)
- 11.8% of farm holdings were dairy farms (14.6% in 2014)
- 62.4% were grazing livestock (LFA) holdings.
Source: DEFRA June Survey 2024
