Latest news with #Hampshire&IsleofWightWildlifeTrust
BBC News
19-03-2025
- BBC News
King's Quay purchase preserves Isle of Wight's 'unspoilt inlet'
A "rare and precious" landscape on the Isle of Wight will be preserved for future generations after it was acquired by a wildlife Quay - formally known as Palmers Farm - has been described as the island's "last unspoilt inlet on the Solent".It has been bought by the James Tuttiett Charitable Trust (JTCT), which has partnered with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to protect said the purchase would provide "a sanctuary for wildlife and a legacy of conservation". The inlet, between the villages of Fishbourne and East Cowes, includes freshwater swamp, reedbed, salt marsh and mudflat habitats, and is surrounded by ancient woodland. It is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a RAMSAR site - a wetland of international Tuttiett of JTCT said: "King's Quay is a truly special place and we are honoured to be playing a role in preserving its unique natural beauty and ecological importance. "By partnering with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, we can ensure this vital habitat thrives for many generations to come, providing a sanctuary for wildlife and a legacy of conservation." Jamie Marsh of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust said: "King's Quay is a rare and precious haven for wildlife."Protecting and restoring key ecosystems such as this is a core part of our Wilder 2030 strategy, for a richer, more biodiverse future for Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, and beyond." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
14-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Tipner West: Government backs wildlife charities to protect land
A wildlife charity has welcomed a government decision to scrap a large-scale development & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has repeatedly raised concerns over Portsmouth City Council's plans for Tipner authority intended to build up to 800 homes in the north-west part of Portsea Island, as well as a marine employment hub and work to improve sea deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has ruled the public benefits of the development do not outweigh the ecological damage it would cause. Tipner West is a Special Protection Area (SPA) for birds and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which the wildlife trust has fought to protect alongside the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).The organisation has previously launched a petition against the plans, which gained more than 25,000 in her role as secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, Ms Rayner supported the nature Tann, chief executive of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said she was "pleased" with the government's decision. She explained it "closed the door on proposals that would have seen development trashing both important harbour habitats and legal safeguards". 'Significant step forward' According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, it has now been suggested a nature reserve could be included to the south of Tipner West, alongside a reduced-scale employment hub and housing Tann added: "The suggested inclusion of a nature reserve at the south of the site is a significant step forward and will be essential in safeguarding the habitats that provide vital feeding and roosting grounds for threatened wading bird species."Portsmouth Harbour and the wider Solent area are home to 30 per cent of the UK's over-wintering population of dark-bellied brent geese, as well as dunlin, black-tailed godwits, and many other wintering Cantelo, from the RSPB, said: "This is a win for nature, people and the local community. "We thank the many thousands of people who stood together with RSPB and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust to help safeguard this precious area and deliver a greener future for local people and future generations."Council leader, Steve Pitt said the decision allows his administration to move ahead with the project "with a different balance of nature, employment and housing" alongside adequate flood defences. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
BBC News
18-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Protest over 'shelved' chalk stream recovery plan
More than 200 councillors have signed an open letter protesting against the government's "reported" abandonment of a plan to restore chalk previous Conservative government announced plans for a Chalk Stream Recovery Pack in June Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT), which organised the letter, said there was "widespread concern" that the scheme had been Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has been approached for comment. The open letter, to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, said: "Water quality in chalk streams across the UK continues to worsen, with unabated pollution from our highways."Salmon, genetically distinct to southern chalk streams, are at a tipping point of extirpation, compounded by deteriorating water quality."The letter added that "polluting effluent" had flowed last year into Hampshire's Test and Itchen rivers, Wiltshire's Avon and Berkshire's Kennet, while Norfolk's River Gaywood had been harmed by dredging and vegetation clearance. The 215 councillors, from Labour, Conservative and other parties, said: "We are disappointed to hear recent reports that the Chalk Stream Recovery Pack has been abandoned."They urged the government to clarify its November, nature charities wrote to the government calling for reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework to protect chalk chief executive Debbie Tann said ministers could still incorporate protections within the forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure said: "Without specific, robust protections embedded into planning policy, we risk these irreplaceable and fragile habitats being damaged or even destroyed."In December, the Environment Agency reported the third-lowest count of salmon returning to the Itchen and Test in 35 years of said: "The 2024 returning stock estimate emphasises the extent to which Hampshire salmon are at risk and the urgency with which they must be given far greater priority in river management decisions." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fly-tipped waste blocks access to nature reserve
A large pile of waste blocked access to the car park of a nature reserve. The fly-tipped rubbish was left on the south side of Blashford Lakes in the New Forest, preventing visitors from driving into the site. The entrance was closed on Monday due to the blockage but cleared and reopened later that day. The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust said cleaning up fly-tipping is a "financial burden" which diverted funds away from protecting wildlife in the area. It added that "fly-tipping poses a serious threat to wildlife and the environment". A spokesperson for the environmental group explained: "Dumped waste can damage plants, disrupt habitats, and have devastating consequences for the many species that call Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve home. "The time and resources required to clear waste take away from vital conservation efforts, and the financial burden of dealing with these incidents diverts funds from our core work of restoring landscapes and protecting wildlife." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Plea over tyres dumped in nature reserve Cannabis production material dumped in four places Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
BBC News
06-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Waste fly-tipped outside New Forest nature reserve
A large pile of waste blocked access to the car park of a nature reserve. The fly-tipped rubbish was left on the south side of Blashford Lakes in the New Forest, preventing visitors from driving into the entrance was closed on Monday due to the blockage but cleared and reopened later that Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust said cleaning up fly-tipping is a "financial burden" which diverted funds away from protecting wildlife in the area. It added that "fly-tipping poses a serious threat to wildlife and the environment".A spokesperson for the environmental group explained: "Dumped waste can damage plants, disrupt habitats, and have devastating consequences for the many species that call Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve home."The time and resources required to clear waste take away from vital conservation efforts, and the financial burden of dealing with these incidents diverts funds from our core work of restoring landscapes and protecting wildlife." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
