Wildlife Conservation Issues

The purpose of this page is to explore any issues affecting the conservation of wildlife in our area i.e. from Portchester in the west north to Denmead, west to Chalton and south to the coast around Nutbourne Bay.  If you are concerned about an issue that might interest others send me an e mail (click here).  I will restrict topics to those affecting conservation and exclude those which are more amenity related.

Havant Thicket Water Storage Reservoir

Portsmouth Water have planning permission to construct a reservoir on Gypsy Plain north of Leigh Park and West of Rowlands Castle.  The timetable is as folows.

Click here for a map of the reservoir as currently planned

Currently a lot of preparative work is going on with some paths being closed.   A new road junction on the B2149 where the Northern access route for contractor's traffic has been prepared and construction of the road to the contractor's site will soon commence.

Outstanding issues include final design of the Embankment that will surround the southern half of the reservoir with environmentalists pressing for adequate wild life corridors not least for bats; work on transient ponds in Havant Thicket to compensate for the loss of the top pond in The Avenue; planting and looking after trees to mitigate for the loss of The Avenue etc.  There is some conflict between pressure for cycle access to parts of Havant Thicket and environmentalists desire to keep the quiet ambience of the north of the Thicket.  Forest England have given assurance that there will be no made up tracks in the northern part of the Thicket.

A more distant issue is Southern Water's proposal to recycle treated water from Budds Farm into the reservoir to compensate for the reduction of water they are allowed to take out the Test and Itchen to supply Southampton.  This might involve water quality issues for wildlife, water levels and lengthy pipelines.  Southern Water are going through public consultation but it will be some month before they can produce scientific evidence on the effects of their proposal.  They will have to achieve planning permission before they can implement any plans.