Offsetting negative impacts on wildlife

Farlington Marshes

Published in the Portsmouth News on the 8th December 2015

 

Dr David Rumble, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s head of conservation strategy on the effects of development on wildlife

All the major political parties agree on one thing: the nation needs more houses, and our two counties are seen as a good place to build many of them. At Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust we regularly raise concerns about potential impacts of development on our precious wildlife, but Hampshire still faces the prospect of tens of thousands of new homes locally.

The next best thing is to attempt to introduce measures to reduce their impact on wildlife. But what does that involve?

In some cases a new development can provide new green spaces – attractive accessible places for new residents to walk their dogs, run and cycle.

This is important as it means more sensitive wildlife havens get to keep the peace and quiet they need.

But all too often it’s not possible to provide enough of the right kind of green spaces with new homes, and instead, a strategic approach is needed to offset the negative impacts on wildlife.

We at the trust helped to set up a study a few years ago to understand the current and future impacts of development on the protected birdlife of the Solent. Coastal areas like Southampton Water and Portsmouth Harbour provide vital resting and feeding areas for migratory birds, some of whom fly thousands of miles from Siberia to visit our shores.

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