Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust owns Upper Titchfield Haven, which we currently lease to Hampshire County Council and is managed by the Council as part of the whole site. The Trust has a good working relationship with the Council’s countryside team. More details can be found here.
The Trust is aware that Hampshire County Council’s proposals for Titchfield Haven National Nature Reserve (NNR) have generated a strong local response. We have been contacted by a number of our members and volunteers who have shared their concerns and asked for our position on the matter. In particular, we have been asked by our members and other organisations if we would be interested in taking over the management of the site or in exploring a partnership arrangement of some sort.
October 2022
Our response to Hampshire County Council’s current proposals for the future at Titchfield Haven is outlined below:
Importance of the site for wildlife
The Trust is pleased that the Council recognises the vital importance of Titchfield Haven; its status as an NNR, Ramsar Site, SPA, SSSI, and SINC makes it one of the most important wildlife sites in the county and the site has been well managed by the countryside team over many years. However, as a nature reserve, not a country park, it has always been different from most of the Council’s other countryside sites and perhaps this is part of the challenge going forward.
Role in the wider landscape.
Titchfield Haven and the landscape within which it sits have a vital role to play in the development of a nature recovery network for Hampshire, which in turn will help to reach our “30 x 30” goals, reverse biodiversity decline, increase resilience to climate change, adapt to sea level rise, and mitigate the impact of human pressure on the environment through nature-based solutions. This wider context does not feature in the Council's proposals at the moment, but we would be keen to open discussions on these more strategic issues to explore opportunities and consider management options.
Management of the nature reserve.
Some of our members have suggested that the Trust should approach the Council about taking over the management of the nature reserve, as it fits more naturally within our portfolio. We already own the land at Upper Titchfield Haven, and we manage several other similar coastal and wetland nature reserves across Hampshire and so in many ways this could make sense. The Trust has previously discussed this idea with the Council in principle (not in detail) and although it was rejected at the time, we are still open to discussions to explore options that, whilst needing to be financially and strategically viable, could be different to those considered some years ago.
Sale of the buildings.
Many of our members and volunteers are objecting to the Council’s plans to sell the buildings, particularly Haven House. The Trust has been approached to see if we wish to buy Haven House and take over the running of the visitor centre and café. We do not have the funds for a purchase, nor is this one of our fundraising priorities. We are, however, open to a conversation to explore options – but not for the building in isolation of the nature reserve, and again any options would have to be financially viable for us. We understand that the local community is looking at whether Haven House can be designated as a community asset and that this could change the situation.
In summary, the Trust is open to further discussions, and we suggest that Hampshire County Council considers putting the proposals on hold to allow time for other options to be explored. For the Trust to have adequate time to assess any business case for potential involvement, we would need a minimum of six months.
We will keep our members and supporters updated on discussions as they progress.
December 2022
Following several internal discussions as well as discussions with the local community and HCC officers and members, the Trust has confirmed an interest in developing a proposal for the future ownership and management of Titchfield Haven NNR and Haven House.
In a letter to HCC the Trust confirmed: "We will submit a written request to be considered as a potential bidder within the six-week ‘interim period’ following HCC notifying FBC of its intention to sell Haven House, as it is now an Asset of Community Value. We will then develop and submit our proposal within the six-month ‘moratorium period’. We will work closely with the local community through the Hill Head Residents Association in developing our bid, and it might be that our bid becomes a joint bid or there may be a partnership arrangement of some sort with the community. This will be clarified as we develop proposals. In the unlikely event that we cannot develop a proposal that meets HCC's objectives or that works for the Trust, we will endeavour to inform all parties in good time to allow for alternative bids to come forward."
We understand the local community is hugely disappointed that their much loved local cafe and visitor centre is closing, and we will work closely with our members in the area, the community and the local authorities to do our very best to come up with a plan that works for the Trust financially and strategically and that delivers for the people and the wildlife of this incredibly important area.
