Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has formally responded to the Portsmouth draft Local Plan. Over the consultation period, the Trust urged its supporters and concerned members of the public to respond to controversial proposals in the plan regarding proposed development at Tipner West . Over the course of 8 weeks, more than 6,000 people across the country responded to tell Portsmouth City Council that their plans for development at Tipner West cross a red line.
The draft allocation for Tipner West, as set out in the Pre-Submission draft plan, risks direct and permanent loss of habitat within sites legally protected for their value for wildlife, including a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Portsmouth Harbour SPA and a Ramsar site. This is in addition to the indirect effects and loss of functionally linked habitat, including essential feeding and roosting areas for the protected populations of wintering waterbirds such as Brent Geese and Black-tailed Godwits.
The local plan has tried to make the case for an exception under the laws that are designed to protect these special areas, allowing irreversible damage to Portsmouth Harbour where nature is already under pressure. However, a ‘Portsmouth Precedent’ for damaging wildlife risks paving the way for many other damaging developments elsewhere to follow, and fundamentally undermines the declared objectives of Portsmouth City Council’s ecological emergency declaration.
“Portsmouth City Council’s declaration of both a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency is an important step in the right direction. But the Council now must deliver on these commitments through its local plan. The proposed development at Tipner West is a crucial opportunity for the Council to stand up for nature in Portsmouth, before it is too late. If plans go ahead, between 2.1ha and 6.5ha of legally protected wildlife habitat could be lost, with severe implications for biodiversity and climate resilience in the City, and setting a damaging precedent for the conservation of nature nationwide” said Debbie Tann MBE, Chief Executive of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is clear that the proposed development, which consists of a housing development and a marine employment hub, does not justify compromising the integrity of the globally significant wildlife habitats found in the Solent's SPAs and Ramsar Wetland Sites. These sites, including coastal grasslands and mudflats, are unique habitats for Portsmouth’s wading birds and valuable carbon stores.
The Trust also recommended a series of amendments to the Plan to boost the ambition of key policies and ensure the target to protect 30% land and sea for nature by 2030 is achieved. These policy recommendations include: increasing buffer zones surrounding watercourses and urban greening factor scores. In addition, the Trust supports Biodiversity Net Gain targets that go beyond the minimum 10%, to reach 15% or 20%. Adopting these policies will be essential for ensuring the plan delivers development that truly helps nature recover.
If allowed to go ahead without sufficient alterations, the proposed Plan risks undermining progress towards the UK’s legal targets for nature’s recovery in the Environment Act (2021) and the strengthened biodiversity duty on local authorities. Current plans for Tipner West in particular cross a fundamental red line. If approved, nowhere in England will be safe for nature.
More details about the Tipner West campaign by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust are available here.