Don’t go there! Save wildlife from super-peninsula plans

Proposals to drain and concrete over a huge area of Portsmouth Harbour put important habitats and much-loved wildlife at serious risk. 

Help us to stop these plans while we can...

Plans for a ‘super peninsula’ at Tipner West would devastate the UK’s geese population and impact other wintering wading birds, as well as completely undermine nature laws - and make a mockery of the climate and ecological crises.

sign the petition now!

Portsmouth City Council plans to develop one of the last wild corners of Portsmouth Harbour in to a ‘super-peninsula’ by draining and concreting over protected intertidal habitat, then build 4,000 new houses and a new 1million sq ft marine hub on a reclaimed coastal floodplain. This special area is already protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Protection Area and a Ramsar Site in recognition of the value for wildlife.

By building on this site, it would:

• Destroy 67 acres (around the size of 50 football pitches) of protected intertidal habitat which fights the climate crisis by capturing and storing carbon dioxide, and is home to diverse populations of fish, invertebrates, and micro-organisms.   
• Fracture a further 7 acres of protected land and other important, but undesignated, wildlife areas.
• Devastate an  area that supports 30% of the UK’s population of dark‐bellied brent geese, as well as dunlin and black‐tailed godwits and many other wintering waders.
• Eliminate a vital link in the chain of protected Ramsar Sites in Europe, all of which need to be in good condition for the network to properly support wildlife.

These habitats are also crucial to protect Portsmouth from erosion and provide natural carbon storage and filtration. They are already under increasing pressure from coastal squeeze, rising sea levels and poor water quality. 

We’ve joined forces with the RSPB to highlight the damage to nature and the loss of green spaces for local people of these damaging proposals. We need your backing to stop this scheme from going any further.

This development poses one of the most significant threats to wildlife in recent times. We are very concerned that if approved, this development will set a dangerous precedent for building over protected habitats across the UK. If an area with the highest level of protection for wildlife can be destroyed and built upon, nowhere will be safe for nature anymore.

Instead, we demand that Portsmouth City Council recognises the inherent value of wild spaces to support nature’s recovery and enhance the wellbeing of the local people through access to the limited green spaces that we have left. They also need to find a way to meet housing need and support the local economy without breaching the limits of our land or the natural environment. Instead, we are calling for Tipner West to remain protected for wildlife and safeguarded as much needed greenspace for the city’s residents to enjoy.

Do you agree? Let's tell Portsmouth City Council #dontgothere!

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and RSPB are working together to stand up for nature.

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