Castle Field in Portsmouth fenced off from next week to make way for Brent geese

Portsmouth City Council is set to start closing some of Castle Field to the public next week in order to create a safe space for Brent geese over the winter.

It comes after Natural England ruled the site was needed while sea defence works are carried out in a site usually used by the birds.

A spokesman for the Southsea Coastal Scheme said: ‘Whilst we understand there will be some inconvenience caused, Brent Geese are an internationally-protected species and we are required by Natural England to make alternative provision for them.

‘Castle Field was identified as the most suitable site for the refuge area, after consultation with Natural England. We anticipate that fencing around the area in Castle Field will begin in the week commencing October 5, 2020, with advance notices going up next week to provide further advice to the public.

‘As always, we apologise for any disruption caused, but hope that the usual removal of restrictions to dogs on the beach and the remaining open spaces on our seafront will mean there is still plenty of space for all to enjoy.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​’

The field is expected to be used by the geese until the end of March next year and every winter until 2026.

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