Solent Forum Nature Conservation Group

The Hampshire Coastal BAP has 140 actions which include generic actions and actions for each of the priority coastal habitats in Hampshire: maritime cliffs; shingle and sand dunes; saline lagoons; grazing marsh; saltmarsh; and mudflats and eelgrass beds. A significant number of these actions are being implemented by a wide range of projects and organisations.

A number of these projects are highlighted below:

  • The Solent Dynamic Coastline project is a joint English Nature, Environment Agency, Hampshire County Council and New Forest District Council project examining the areas identified by the CHaMP in more detail to identify the potential of these sites to be used for managed realignment and compensation habitat. This will ensure a strategic approach across the Solent and may lead to land-banking in the future. This project is looking mainly at saltmarsh habitat but also considers saline lagoons and grazing marsh.

  • CASI surveys flown for the Solent area in 2003. This has now been interpreted and provides a baseline of mudflat, saltmarsh and grazing marsh area and extent for the whole of Hampshire and the Solent area.

  • Chichester Harbour Conservancy’s beneficial use of dredgings project.

  • The Solent Wader Roost project is in its initial stages but will identify the location of roost and high tide feeding sites and identify those at risk in the future from development, change in land use and sea level rise.

  • The Wildlife Trust has done a huge amount of work on the impacts of the marine aggregate business on the biodiversity of our sea.

  • An English Nature, Hampshire County Council and Hampshire Wildlife Trust project developed interpretation boards for Sinah Common and Browndown about shingle and sand dunes. The Southsea beachfront manager has also installed some interpretation on this at Eastney.

  • The EU LIFE project on saline lagoons has taken forward a number of the actions identified in the Saline Lagoons HAP.

  • A project analysing coastal change through aerial photograph is looking at the changes to the mudflat and saltmarsh habitats in the Solent.

  • The production of the Bait digging code of conduct by the SEMS Management Group.

Further information is available from solentforum@hants.gov.uk