Dorset is a county in South West England on the English Channel Coast. The Dorset heathlands cover an extensive area of South East Dorset, fragmented by urban development and other land uses. These heathlands once covered over 50,000 hectares, stretching as far as Dorchester and Poole. Changes in agricultural practice, conifer planting, scrub encroachment, urban expansion and road building have all contributed to a reduction in area. Dorset's fragmented heaths measure approximately 5,700 hectares today. Heathlands are an important habitat and are protected by European-level designations. They are prone to fires, and this risk is likely to increase with climate change, due to higher temperatures and more frequent dry conditions. Moreover, development in the proximity of protected sites significantly increases the risk of fires and other negative impacts on the heath such as loss of biodiversity. The Dorset Heathlands Planning Framework Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) 2015-2020 (SPD) and its successive updated 2020-2025 seek to secure developer contributions toward funding the implementation of a package of alleviation measures to offset the adverse effects of additional residential development on the heathlands, including fire risk. The framework applies to all new housing that results in a net gain in dwelling units within a zone between 400m and 5km of designated European wildlife sites, and no development is permitted within a 400m buffer around heathland sites. This framework can also contribute in reducing heathlands sensitivity to climate change effects.