Havant Thicket Water Reservoir: Wetlands area approved despite concerns over impact on birds

The mounds had been added to plans since outline planning, giving permission in principle for the new water reservoir, was granted and Havant Borough Council’s planning committee members sought to discover the benefits of the amendments. 

Work on Portsmouth Water’s reservoir is well underway and the committee was gathered to approve plans for siting, scale, external appearance and landscaping relating to the wetland part of the Thicket Reservoir development.

The wetland is a 1.43km long area running along the northern shoreline creating 4.3km of wetland shoreline which is then divided into four compartments for planning purposes of the reservoir. It provides over 12 hectares of wetland habitat across and over 2 hectares of ephemeral shallows habitat.

The reservoir wetlands project straddles two local authority areas – East Hampshire and Havant districts. 

Councillor Elizabeth Lloyd (Con, Stakes) said she felt like she had her hands tied behind her back even after asking Portsmouth Water representatives at the meeting directly why the mounds had been introduced it was not clear what had driven that decision. 

She said the whole process had been taxing: “Largely because information and clarification had been forthcoming on a piecemeal basis.” 

She had hoped to work in collaboration with East Hampshire District members in a more democratic way. 

Retired Portsmouth Water reservoir project manager Tracey Viney objected to the plans at the meeting on September 3. She said it was a scandal that planning officers had used delegated authority to rush through East Hampshire decisions before the planning meeting.

The raised landforms along the wetland area will be created by soil excavated from the site and covering up ancient woodland soil used for kick-starting restoration and reducing the wet grassland area for birds, said Ms Vinney.

This was disputed by Portsmouth Water which said there would be no loss of wet grassland as a result of the mounds, with the ancient woodland soil being “removed and replaced on the raised landforms”.

Councillor David Keast (Con, Cowpalin) said there was a lot of opposition to the mounds and Councillor Hull said maybe they should be taken away.

The council’s executive head of place Alex Robinson said to members that the planning application could only be refused or approved – and they couldn’t refuse it because they could not show it would cause harm. 

The wetland area has five mounds, two will be 1m high, one will be 1.5m high, one will be 2.4m high and one will be 2.8m high. Only one mound sits within Havant Borough Council’s area and was up for approval by the planning committee on Tuesday, September 3.

Portsmouth Water representatives were asked the purpose of the mounds but they did not answer the “purpose” or “drive” behind it.

After the meeting, Portsmouth Water told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the raised landforms provide habitat complexity within the overall wetland and protection for wildlife from predation. They also enable wet woodland habitat to be created and maintained behind them by holding the water which would otherwise not be possible.

The 1.6km by 0.8km and up to 18 metres deep reservoir built by Portsmouth Water in conjunction with Southern Water, will be filled with spring water from Bedhampton. It is to supply water to customers in the summer months, and provide recreational facilities for the public and wetland habitats for birds and nature conservation.

The borough council’s ecological officer said that the wetland habitat was for all creatures not just for birds. Details of the bird hides at the wetlands such as design, orientation, materials and screening could not be approved as part of this application but require a further planning application, at a future date.

The application was approved with the chair’s casting vote, three for, three against and three abstaining. Detailed wetlands plans are available on the council website in the officer’s presentation.