TipnerWest regeneration

Local habitat

Since 2015 the council has been carrying out detailed surveys and assessments looking at habitats and species in this area to understand the potential impact of development.

The council is working with organisations including Natural England, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and RSPB as plans for the site develop.

Rising sea levels as well as any development at Tipner West, including flood defences, will have an impact on existing habitats, so it is vital that any plans for the site:

  • Recreate areas of the most valuable native habitats within Portsmouth Harbour and at compensatory sites – such as intertidal mudflats and exposed shingle shorelines
  • Create new green spaces and habitats where species can thrive
  • Measure and prove an increase in biodiversity using DEFRA’s biodiversity metric that assesses habitats and an area’s value to wildlife
  • Design out conflicts between people’s interaction with coast and the habitats species rely on

Any regeneration at Tipner West is likely to require an:

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) – this sets out in detail the likely environmental impact of any development and recommends measures to mitigate those impacts to acceptable levels.

Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA) – this is a multi-stage process that must take place when development is proposed on a protected site. It looks at whether there are feasible alternative solutions that are less damaging to the habitat site, whether there are Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest (IROPI) for the project; and ensures compensatory measures are taken to protect the wider habitat site. The HRA must take place before deciding whether to undertake, permit or authorise a development.

The environment

Biodiversity
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Flood risk and sea defences
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