www.solentforum.org

The newsletter of the Solent Forum Issue 43: Winter 2017/18

Inside this issue...• Latestnewsfromthe

SolentForum

• GreatBritishBeachClean• Microbeadplasticban• 2017BathingWater

results

• Newfishingbyelaws• Newgoodpractice

guidanceformarineaggregates

• ManagingmarinerecreationalactivitiesinMarineProtectedAreas

• SaltmarshrechargeatLymingtonHarbour

• Wadersandbrentgoosestrategyupdate

• GreenHaloprojectlaunch• Environmentallyfriendly

mooringsworkshop

• TheBlueBeltProgramme• SolentOyster

Regenerationprojectupdate

• SouthernWatertacklesmisconnections

• TheYearofthePier• HaslarBarracks

development

• Ferrytravelartinspiration• HMSQueenElizabeth

commissioned

Solent News

Duringthecourseof2017,theSolentForumprogressedPhase1ofthe‘BeneficialUseofDredgeSedimentintheSolent’(BUDS)project.Thisshowedthataroundonemillioncubicmetresof finesediment is typicallyexcavatedeachyear in thearea;however,nomorethan0.02percentofthis(atbest)isusedbeneficiallytoprotectandrestoreitsdeterioratingmarshesandcoastline.

Phase1oftheprojectisbeingundertakenbyABPmer(whohavealsocontributedtotheinitiativefromtheirownresearchbudget)andisbeingoverseenbyaspecialisttechnicalgroup.Theprojectteamhaveundertakenthefollowingtasks:

• Abriefintroductoryliteraturereviewtoprovideacontextfortheinvestigationandreviewthechallenges,identifyothercontemporaryinitiativesanddescribeprovencaseexamples.

• Aspecificinvestigationintothecostsandbenefitsofusingsedimenttorestorehabitatsinordertoinformdiscussionsabouttheobjectivesof,andfundingstreamsfor,futureprojects.

• Determinationofasetof‘selectioncriteria’whichcanbeusedtoidentifybeneficialusesites(basedontheirpotentialeconomicandenvironmentalvalue).

• DevelopmentofanonlineGISmappingproductthatcollatesrelevantspatialinformationwhichcanbeinterrogatedtoselect,oreliminate,locationswherebeneficialuseprojectsmightbeundertaken.

• AnengagementprocessinwhichmanyinterestedpartiesthroughouttheSolentwereaskedforadditionalinformationaswellastheirviewsandadvice.

• Afinalworkshop(heldon6thDecember2017)todiscusspossiblebeneficialuseprojectsiteswithkeystakeholdersandindustryexperts.

Phase1hashighlightedarangeofpossiblebeneficialuselocations.Thisincludesthosewhereambitiousandvisionarylarge-scaleprojectscouldorshouldbecarriedouttoprotectcoastalcommunitiesandenhance,andprolongthelifeof,theSolent’smarshes.TheSolentForumandABPmerareverygratefulfortheexcellentadviceandsupportprovidedbythemanyconsulteesontheproject.TheBUDSPhase1reportwillbeissuedearlyin2018.Seewww.solentforum.org/services/buds/formoreinformation.

Beneficial Use of Dredge Sediment in the Solent (BUDS)

Chairman’s Column

News from the Forum

Interestinthemarineenvironmentisincreasingforanumberof reasons,whichcanonlybeagoodthing. Sir David Attenborough’s Blue Planet 2hashadsomeofthehighestviewingfigureseverrecorded;nothingcanshowbetterthebeautyandimportanceofmarinelifethantheamazingfilmingandhiscommentary.InthelastprogrammeDavidtalked in his own very gentle, but very powerfulway, about the real dangers that the marineenvironmentfacesinmoderntimes,butattheendhewasoptimisticthatwecandosomethingaboutthisifweactandactnow.During the programme he also showed us thedamage that plastics are doing to wildlife, andthishasbeenaccompaniedbypubliccampaignstomakeGovernments act on plastic and plasticwaste. Marine conservation organisations, suchas the Wildlife Trusts and Marine ConservationSocietyhereintheUK,haveworkedhardtoraisetheseissueswithGovernmentandGovernmentisrespondingpositively,butmuchmoreneedstobedone.

Plastic waste is a cultural phenomenon and theresultofinstantaccesstoproducts,accompaniedby the ease of throwing away the packagingafterwards.ARadio 4 programme described thegrowth of a billion dollar plus perfume companywhose success was based on the recognitionthat the value of products is directly related tohow elaborately they are packaged, but withoutanythoughtoftheresultantwastethatiscreated.Shoppingwithmydaughter recently,shewantedBritish tomatoes sold without packaging. Sheaskedoneof theassistantswhoreplied that thiswas not company policy, however, he offered totakesomeoutofthepackagingforher.Needlessto say we did not buy the tomatoes, but bothexamplesdemonstratetheapproachwegenerallytake to packaging. Who wants to see litter ontheforeshoreorintheseaandwhenwasitever

Peter Barham

TheForum’sNaturalEnvironmentGroup(NEG)met inNovemberwithitsnewChair,SueBurtonfromNaturalEngland.TheGroupdiscussedactionsarisingfromthe‘SolentEuropeanMarineSites(SEMS)AnnualManagementReport,2017’andinparticulartheissueofmarinelitter.

TheSolent Forumproduced a scoping paper for themeeting on howactions can be taken forward tominimise the local activity of littering,whichmaybecausingdamagetotheSolentenvironment.NEGagreedthataprojectonlitteringshouldbesetupwithastrategicSolentcampaigntotacklethisissue.AProjectgroupisintheprocessofbeingformedtohelpsteerthework;theinauguralmeetingwillbeheldon28thMarch2018inWinchester.AprojectpagewillbeplacedontheForum’swebsiteshortly;inthemeantimefurtherdetailscanbesuppliedonrequest.

Luke Helmer, from the University of Portsmouth, also presentedsomeof thework that hehasbeenundertaking for theSolentOysterRestoration Project at the meeting. NEG funded him to look at thewater quality at his oyster sampling sites.An article on this project ispublished later in thisnewsletter.FindoutmoreaboutNEG’sworkat:www.solentems.org.uk/natural_environment_group/.

Natural Environment Group

Marine Licence Applications

After a request from members, the Solent Forum is now providingdetails of marine licence applications around the Solent in its regularmonthlyenewsletter.Thisincludesapplicationsthatareopenforpublicconsultationsand thosewheredecisionsorchanges to theapplicationhavebeenmadeinthelastmonth.

MarineLicenceapplicationsareavailabletoviewonthepublicsectionoftheMarineManagementOrganisation’scasemanagementsystemathttps://marinelicensing.marinemanagement.org.uk/mmofox5/fox/live/.

To subscribe to the monthly enewsletter send your email address toinfo@solentforum.org.

encouraged? Clearing it up is important and we welcome strongly theactionsofcouncilsandvolunteerstodothis,butuntilwehaveachangeofculturewearetreatingthesymptomsandnotthedisease.SowheredoesallthisleavetheSolentForum?Itispartofthechallengethat we continue to bringmarine issues and,more importantly,marineactionstoeveryoneandtocontinuetoencouragetheinvolvementofmoreandmorepeopletodothingswhichwillimprovethemarineenvironmentforwildlifeandforus.

Theyear2018 isgoing tobe interestingaswestart toseewhatBrexitbringsandhowtheGovernmentwanttoseetheenvironmentmanaged.Earlyin2018weshouldseethe‘25YearEnvironmentPlan’publishedandthiswillcertainlygiveastrongindicationofthedirectiontheGovernmentwants to take.LikeSirDavidAttenboroughweshouldbeoptimistic,asSecretaryofStateforEnvironment,FoodandRuralAffairs,MichaelGove,is saying that he wants to see the environment not just protected, butimproved.TheSolentForumisreadytoplayitspart.Mybestwishesfor2018.

www.solentforum.org

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is implementing an ‘EnhancingStakeholder Engagement’ project to engage with more stakeholders, moreeffectivelyandsostrengthenthedevelopment,implementationandmonitoringofmarineplans.

It is working with local coastal partnerships, and the consultants Nomensa, todevelopknowledgeofstakeholderswithaninterestinthemarinearea.Itishopedthat thisworkwillprovide insights intostakeholders’driversandmotivationsandidentifybarrierstoengagementinmarineplanning.

This knowledge will then be used to identify opportunities to raise awareness,and deliver enhanced engagement to all stakeholders. In particular, new and‘hard to reach’ stakeholderswho are not currentlymeaningfully engaged in themarineplanningprocess.TheSolentForumisoneofthelocalcoastalpartnershipsselectedtoassistwiththiswork.

IntheSolent,weareawaitingpublicationofthefinalSouthMarinePlans.Theseare 20 year plans and will bemonitored and reviewed every three years. Seewww.gov.uk/government/publications/draft-south-marine-plan.

Engaging Stakeholders in Marine Planning

Solent European Marine Sites (SEMS)TheSolentEuropeanMarineSites(SEMS)AnnualManagementReport(AMR)wasgivenanewlayoutin2017;itisnowasingledocument incorporatinganactiondeliveryplan. The improvements followedsuggestionsmadeby theSEMSManagementGroup(MG);theworkwasdoneinhousebytheSolentForumteam,withinputfromtheChairsofSEMSandtheNaturalEnvironmentGroup(NEG)andfromNaturalEngland(NE).

The AMR was discussed at the annual meeting of the SEMS MG in September 2017; it can be found atwww.solentems.org.uk/publications/.Anincreaseintheuseofdroneswasreportedatthreelocationsandfurtheractionwillbetakentoaddressbaitdigging.Hotspotsforlitteringexistwithindesignatedsitesandgapswererecognisedinthecurrentunderstandingofboththedirectandindirectimpactsoflitter.NEGwilltakeforwardmanyofthenecessaryactionsthatSEMSidentified.RevisedtermsofreferenceforSEMSwereagreedatthemeeting.FurtherrefinementstotheonlinemonitoringsystemweresuggestedandthesewillbemadethroughJanuaryandFebruary2018.

SeveraloftheframeworkswithinwhichSEMSoperatesarebeingreviewedbyNE,includingtheirconservationadviceandconditionandriskassessments.InthefutureitwillbepossibletotailorriskcategoriesforSEMSactivitiesasaresultoftheconservationadviceandconditionassessments.OncetheresultsofthisworkareavailabletheywillimprovethefocusonkeyissuestoprotectSEMS’features,andwillclarifywheretheMGshouldprioritiseitsefforts.

TheSEMSannualonlinemonitoringsurveyisundertakenbytheSEMSMGandwilltakeplaceinSpring2018.FormoreinformationonSEMSpleasevisitwww.solentems.org.uk/.

Autumn 2017 Solent Forum Meeting

AttheOctobermeetingoftheSolentForum,welaunchedourCoastalConsentsGuideandupdatedourSolentInformationDatabase(SID).

TheCoastalConsentsGuideprovidesanoverviewofallthedifferenttypesofregulationsthatthosewishingtoundertakedevelopment or works around the coast need to be aware of before submitting an application. It can be found atwww.solentforum.org/publications/key_publications/coastal_consents_guide/.

SIDprovidesaquickandeasyway for people to find researchand reports from theSolent andnationally onawiderangeoftopicsandareas.Itshowswhendocumentswerepublished,bywhom,givesanabstractandthenadirectlinkto thedocument.Forummembersarewelcometosenddetailsof their researchandreports for inclusion.SIDcanbeaccessed atwww.solentforum.org/publications/sid/. Details of Forummeeting and past presentations can be found atwww.solentforum.org/networking/meeting/.

News from the Forum

Plastics & LitterGreat British Beach Clean 2017

LastSeptember,thousandsofpeopleheadedtoUKbeachestopickuplitterandrecordtheirfindsinthe‘GreatBritishBeachClean’organisedbytheMarineConservationSociety(MCS).Justshortof7,000volunteerbeachcleanerspickedup255,209individualpiecesoflitterfrom339beaches;ninebeachesacrosstheSolentparticipated.Theresultsshowtherewas718bitsofrubbishforevery100metrescleanedandatenpercentrise in theamountof litterpickedupfromthepreviousyear.Aswithpreviousyears,tinybitsofplasticwerethemostcommonlyfounditems,inevengreaternumberthanin2016.

Thisyear’sresultsshowedlitterfromeatinganddrinkingmakesuptwentypercentofalltherubbish.Therewas138piecesof‘onthego’litterfound,onaverage,per100mofallthebeachescleanedandsurveyedbyvolunteers.Thistypeoflitterincludesitemsfromdrinkscupstocutlery,foilwrapperstostraws,packetstolollysticks,plasticbottlestodrinkscansandglassbottles.

Dataalsorevealedaninety-fourpercentrise inthenumberofwetwipesfoundonUKbeaches.TheMCShascollectedover10,000signatureson itspetition to thewetwipe industry body, EDANA, asking them to ensuremembers remove plasticfromtheirflushableproductsandthatflushablewipescomplywithUKWaterIndustrystandards.Thedatashowsthatlittercomesfromthefollowingsources:

• Non-identifiable-46.2%• Fishing-10.8%• Sewagerelateddebris-8.5%• Medical-0.2%• Fly-tipped-1%• Shipping-2.9%• Public-30.4%Theyear2018,willbethe25thanniversaryoftheMCSBeachCleansandaseriesofspecialeventsarebeingplanned.Findoutmoreat:https://www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/greatbritishbeachclean.

See Bin, See Change EventTheUniversityofPortsmouthhelda‘SeeBin,SeaChange’eventonthe1stDecember2017.Theevent raisedawarenessof theongoingplasticpollutionproblem that facestheUK,aswellcelebratingtheintroductionoftheUK’sfirstSeabinbyLandroverBARinPortsmouthHarbour.Attheeventthereweregive-aways,aquestionnaireaboutplasticconsumption,aworldresearchwall,andapledgewallforthepublictoexpresshowtheyarereducingtheirplasticconsumption.

The Plastic Tide organisation also attended the event; their website,https://www.theplastictide.com, shows how you can get involved in a citizen scienceprojectonbeachplastic.PlasticTidealsoseeks toenhanceourunderstandingof theamountofplasticoncoastlines,bytriallingdrone-basedautomaticdetectionoflitter.Theaimistocreateaglobalinventoryofmarineplasticpollution,andhelpidentifyhotspots,impactsandthefateofplastic.

EachSeabincollectsfloatingdebrisandmicroplasticsdown to2mmindiameterandhasthecapability tocollect83,000plasticshoppingbagsor20,000plasticbottlesperyear.TheteamareexpectingtoremovehalfatonneofdebrisfromthewatersaroundTheCamberinPortsmoutheachyear,as-wellasremovingpollutantssuchasoilsanddetergents.

WatchaYouTubevideooftheSeabinat:https://www.youtube.comwatch?v=LsVC28cJffM.

.

Seabin. Photo courtesy of Harry KH/Land Rover BAR

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Environmental QualityPlastic Microbead Ban

InJuly2017,Defrapublisheditsconsultationoutcomeonproposalsto ban the use of plastic microbeads in cosmetics and personalcareproducts in theUK.Theconsultationasked for commentsonproposalsforabanonthemanufactureandsaleofproducts.Italsosoughttogatherevidenceontheextentoftheenvironmentalimpactsoffurthersourcesofpotentialmarineplasticpollution,toinformfutureUKactionstoprotectthemarineenvironment.

Themajorityof the respondentswelcomed theproposedban.Thebanon themanufacture of products containingmicrobeadsbeganon9thJanuary2018.Abanontheirsalewillfollowlaterintheyear.

Many respondents recognised the need to take further action toaddressadditionalsourcesofmarinelitterfromavarietyofindustriesand applications, as well as relevant research. Responses alsoincludedpossible interventions toaddressothersourcesofmarinepollution, including improvements to infrastructure, developingtechnologies and voluntary commitments. View the outcomedocument at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/banning-the-use-of-microbeads-in-cosmetics-and-personal-care-products.

OSPAR’s‘RegionalActionPlanonMarineLitter’includesanactiontoevaluateallproductsandprocessesthatincludeprimarymicroplasticsandact,ifappropriate,to reduce their impacton themarineenvironment. InJune2017 theUK joined theUNCleanSeascampaign,aplatformwhichaimstoconnectindividuals,civilsocietygroups,industryandgovernmentstotransformhabits,practices,standardsandpoliciesaroundtheglobetodramaticallyreducemarinelitterandtheharmitcauses.

Marine South East is one of the partners in an Europeanproject looking at Clean Inland Shipping solutions namedCLINSH. CLINSH is a demonstration project which willassess the effectiveness of emissions control technology,alternativefuelsandshoresidepowersystems.

Itwasofficiallylaunchedon1stSeptember2016.Seventeenprojectpartnershavecommittedtoinvestmentstotallingover€8.5 million, with co-financing provided by the EuropeanUnion’s LIFE programme. The various project activitiesaredesignedto increasethe long-termsustainabilityof theinlandshippingsector.

The vessels, which will take part in the practical trialscommencing early 2018, have now been selected; a fulllistcanbeseenatwww.clinsh.eu. Thesevesselswill testvarious emissions-reducing technologies including the useofalternativefuels.Thedatagatheredwillprovidevaluableinformationabout theirenvironmentalperformanceand theoperating costs. The overall purpose of the project is tocreateamoresustainable inlandshippingsector, reducingemissionsofhazardoussubstancessuchasnitrogenoxidesandfineparticulates.

Itishopedthattheknowledgegainedwillsupportnewpoliciesintended to reduceharmfulemissions,andalso reveal theeconomicimplicationsforvesselownersandoperators.

Clean Inland Shipping Solutions Bathing Water Quality Results, 2017

InNovember,theOfficeofNationalStatisticspublishedtheannualbathingwaterqualityresults.

For every designated bathing water in England, theEnvironment Agency monitors Escherichia coli andintestinalenterococci in thewater, throughout thebathingseason.Valuescanvarydependingonfactorssuchastheweather,pollutionfromagriculturalandurbansourcesandstormwater overflows. The results summary for the 413bathingwatersmeasuredshow:

• 406(98.3percent)metatleasttheminimumstandardoftheBathingWaterDirective.

• 270bathingwatersinEngland(65.4percent)mettheexcellentstandardoftheBathingWaterDirective.

• SevenbathingwatersinEngland(1.7percent)didnotmeettheminimumstandard,andwereclassifiedaspoor.

AllbathingwatersintheSolentareclassifiedas‘excellent’.

Viewthestatisticsathttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/bathing-water-quality-statistics.

TheEnvironmentAgencypublishbathingwaterprofilesforeachdesignatedbeachyoucanviewthemathttps://environment.data.gov.uk/bwq/profiles/.

Microbeads in a facial scrub

FisheriesNew Fishing Byelaws for Solent European Marine Sites

Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture Futures

TheSouthernInshoreFisheriesandConservationAuthority(IFCA) is responsible for the management of inshorefisheriesinthecoastalwatersoffDorset,Hampshireandthe Isle ofWight. It has introduced two new byelaws tosafeguardtheSolentEuropeanMarineSites(SEMS).

Thebyelawsprotect locallyand internationally importantmarine habitats and species within SEMS, togetherwith other Marine Protected Areas in the region; theywill support the long-term sustainability of fisheries andcoastal communities within these areas. The SouthernIFCAcarriedoutextensivepubliccommunityengagementthroughoutallstagesofthedevelopmentofbothbyelaws.

The ‘Bottom Towed Fishing Gear Byelaw, 2016’ banspotentially damaging fishing activities over 990km2of sensitive sea area, protecting over 36.5 percent ofcoastalareasinDorset,HampshireandtheIsleofWight.The byelaw also introduces management for the newlydesignated Chesil Beach and Stennis Ledges MarineConservationZone(MCZ)andPooleRocksMCZ.

The‘SolentDredgeFishingByelaw,2016’restrictsdredgefishingwithinLangstoneHarbour,PortsmouthHarbourandSouthamptonWateroverafour-monthwinterperiod,fromNovembertotheendofFebruary.Itwillprotectsensitivesoftsedimenthabitatsandthepopulationsofinvertebratesthat livewithin them,which in turnprovidean importantfood source for internationally important bird species.These measures will also support the sustainability oftheSolent’sshellfishfisheries,whichhaveexperiencedadeclineincatchesinrecentyears.

SouthernIFCAalsohasadutytofurthertheconservationobjectivesofMarineProtectedAreasand,inEuropeanMarineSites(EMS),torestrictdamagingactivitiesthatcouldsignificantlydisturbspeciesordeterioratethehabitatsoftheprotectedspeciesorhabitattypes.Itisfollowingagovernment-ledrisk-basedassessmentoftheimpactoffishingactivitiesonEMSdesignatedfeatures.

Oyster dredging, photo courtesy of Southern IFCA

InOctober2017,the‘CollaborativeCentreforSustainableAquacultureFutures’waslaunchedbyEnvironmentSecretaryMichaelGove,withanambitionofbringingtogetherworld-leadingscientiststoensurethekeychallengesfacingsustainablegrowthoftheaquacultureindustryarebetterunderstood,bothathomeandinternationally.

KeyissuestobeaddressedbytheCentreinclude:

• Providingscientificsupporttoreducethe$6bnannuallossesduetodiseaseinaquaculture.• Providingevidenceandtoolstoensurethatfish,shellfish,crustaceansandseaweedsproducedintheglobalindustryare

safetoeat.

• Understandinghowcuttingedgemoleculardiagnostics,pathology,animalbreedingandnutritioncanbeappliedtoassistseafoodfarmers,particularlyinmorevulnerablesocieties.

• Ensuringthataquacultureisdevelopedsustainably,forthebenefitofcommunities,economiesandtheenvironment.Tofindoutmorepleasevisitwww.exeter.ac.uk/saf/.

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Marine Industries

Seabed Rights for Offshore Wind

Good Practice Guidance for Marine Aggregate Extraction in English Waters

Shipping Container Logistics

The British Marine Aggregate Producers Association (BMAPA), therepresentative body for the marine aggregate sector, and The CrownEstate have jointly published a new good practice guidance formarineaggregateextractionoperationsinEnglishwaters.

‘Good Practice Guidance: Extraction by Dredging of Aggregates fromEngland’s Seabed (2017)’ replaces ‘Extraction by dredging from theEnglishseabed:mineralsplanningguidance1’originallypublishedbytheOfficeoftheDeputyPrimeMinisterin2002.ThiswasformallywithdrawnbytheGovernmentinSeptember2017.

DevelopedinconsultationwithDefra,theMarineManagementOrganisation,NaturalEngland,JointNatureConservationCommittee,HistoricEnglandandTheCentreforEnvironment,FisheriesandAquacultureScience,thenewgoodpracticeguidancehasbeenproducedinresponsetoacontinuingneed forakeyreferencedocument tohelp informnotonly industry,butalsopolicymakers,regulatorsandadvisors.

ThenewguidancereflectsmodernpracticeinEnglishwaters,providinganoverviewofthemarineaggregateindustry.Itcoverstheplanning,licensing,environmental assessment, monitoring, mitigation and managementmethodsthatareemployedtoprotecttheenvironmentandotherseabedinterestsandtoensurethesustainabilityoftheindustry.

Download the document at http://www.bmapa.org/documents/BMAPA_TCE_Good_Practice_Guidance_04_2017.pdf.

Photo courtesy of BMAPA

TheCrownEstate has announced that it will beworkingwiththeoffshorewindsectorandstakeholderstoconsidermaking new seabed rights available to offshore winddevelopers.

The announcement follows the Government’s backingfor offshore wind in the ‘Clean Growth Strategy’ andrecognisestheindustry’son-goingdevelopmentofaSectorDealforoffshorewind.Italsofollowstherecent‘ContractsforDifference’auctionwhichdemonstratedsignificantcostreduction.

TheCrown Estate reported last summer that over 1,463offshorewindturbineswereoperationalontheUKseabedbytheendof2016.Therewasastrongdevelopmentpipelineduring2017,withafurther830turbinesunderconstructionandatotalofsevennewsitesexpectedtoreachfirstpower.There has also been significant investment in operationsand maintenance bases across a number of the UK’sregionalportsandharbours.

Moredetail regarding futureoffshorewind leasingactivitywillbereleasedinearly2018.

Shipping companies should be better able to organisetheiremptycontainersandtheroutesonwhichtheytravel,thanks to the development of a new optimisationmodel.Thenewsystemshouldimprovelogistics,savingtimeandmoneyandreducingemissions.

Thetoolreliesonasetofcomplexmathematicalmodelstocreateasophisticateddecisionsupportsystemforhelpinglinercompaniesplantheirbestroutesandfleetdeployment.Itoptimises routingof ladenandemptycontainers,whichwillminimiseunnecessarymovementsofvessels,reducingfuelconsumptionandCO2emissions.

Dr Shahin Gelareh, from the University of Portsmouth,undertook the research in conjunctionwith theUniversityofSouthamptonaspartofstrategiestoreduceemissionsinlinewiththeParisagreementonclimatechange.Thelong-termaim is to reduceCO2emissions fromeveryshippingcontainertransportedby15percentuntil2020.

The results of the project are published in the Journalof ‘Transportation Research Part E: Logistics andTransportationReview’.

Coastal Defence

Hill Head’s New Sea Defences South Hayling Beach Management

Between 2014 and 2017, Lymington HarbourCommissionersundertookathree-yeartrialtobeneficiallyusemuddredged fromtheriver to rechargean intertidalareainabaywithin‘BoilerMarsh’wherethesaltmarshhasbeenlostthrougherosion.

Theplanwastocreateanunconfinedintertidalreefwithinthebay, thatwillprovideshelter to themarsh fromwaveactionor a sourceof sediment to feed themarsh in theimmediatevicinity.Itishopedthatbyreducingtheamountofwaveenergyreachingthemarshinthisareaerosionwillbeslowed.

Thetrialinvolvedtheplacementof2,380tonnesofsedimentinNovember 2014, building up to 6,900 tonnes in 2015and 10,000 tonnes in 2016. During the trial, monitoringwas undertaken to ensure there was no detriment towaterqualityor thebenthiccommunities that inhabit themud, the latter with the support of Natural England andtheEnvironmentAgency.Bathymetric surveyswerealsoundertakenbeforeandaftereachsurveytoestablishthepersistenceofplacedmudovertime.Thefinalmonitoringreportconcludedthatthetrialhadnoadverseeffectonwaterqualityorthesaltmarshenvironmentand,encouragingly,bedlevelshadrisenbyanaverageof0.66mintheareaofdisposalwhencomparedtothe2014baselinedata.This informationwasusedtosupportasuccessfulapplicationtotheMarineManagementOrganisationforanewextendedmarinelicence.Thenewlicenceauthorisestheplacementofupto10,000tonnesperyearuntil2024anditishopedthattheselargerquantitieswillmakeamaterialdifferencetoslowingmarsherosioninthisarea.Lookingforward,LymingtonHarbourCommissionersaremembersoftheSolentForum’s‘BeneficialUseofDredgingintheSolent’project,whichseekstoidentifywideropportunitiesforthebeneficialuseofdredgedmudwithintheSolent.AswellastryingtoidentifywideropportunitiesaroundtheSolent,thisworkwillincludeassessingwhetherthereareotherstrategicareaswheremudcanbeplacedtoslowdownmarsherosiontoprovideshelterforLymingtonHarbour.ThiswillbecomeimportantastheBoilerMarsharea‘fillsup’totheextentthatbargescannolongergainsafeaccess.

New Saltmarsh Recharge Licence for Lymington Harbour

Photo courtesy of Lymington Harbour Commissioners

TheEasternSolentCoastalPartnership(ESCP)havereportedthatallworksonPhase2oftheHillHeadSeaDefenceprojectarenowcomplete.Theprojecthasinvolvedconstructionofanewandimprovedseawall,beachreplenishment,extensivetimbergroynemaintenanceaswellasanimprovedamenityarea.

The main aim of the project was to develop, design andbuildacosteffectiveseadefenceoptionwhichwillmaintainamenityandleisureaccessalongthisfrontageforthelifetimeofthestructure.

Beach levelshave fallenatHillHeadsince2012,exposingthe seawalls to additional wave action. Records show thatstormfrequencyisincreasingwith18stormsinthelastthreeyears.Theoldseawallhadreachedtheendofitsserviceablelifeandwasnolongerabletowithstandthisincreasedwaveaction,failingregularly,leadingtoexpensiverepairs.

FundinghasbeenreceivedfromtheEnvironmentAgencyforthecontinuationofbeachmanagementbytheEasternSolent Coastal Partnership (ESCP) on Hayling Island.Fundingof£3.3millionhasbeenawardedtocoverthenextfiveyearsofbeachmanagementworks,plusresearchintocoastalchangeontheIsland.

ESCPhavealsoreceivedplanningpermissioninperpetuityfortheworks,andamarinelicenceextendinguntil2027.Thiswillallow it tocontinue itswork to reducefloodanderosionriskatEastokeonHaylingIsland.

ThefirstbeachrecyclingcampaigntookplaceinOctober2017.Duringtheworks10,000m3ofmaterialwasextractedfrom theOpenBeachand recycled toEastoke.WorkinginPartnershipwiththeHaylingGolfClub,theESCPalsorecycled20,000m3ofmaterialfromGunnerPointbacktoEastoketohelpfurtherreducethefloodriskatthislocation.

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Recreation & LeisureEnvironmentally-friendly Moorings Workshop

Managing Marine Recreational Activities in MPAs

Anchorsandmooringscanhaveadetrimentalimpactonsensitivemarinehabitatssuchasseagrassbeds.Onepotentialoptiontoreducetheimpactistheuseofenvironmentally-friendlymoorings,(oreco-moorings)whicharesimplysystemsdesignedtohavelessimpactontheseabedthanconventionalswingmoorings.

Therearea rangeofdifferent typesof theseeco-moorings,anddifferentsystems inusearebeing trialledaround thecountry.MoreworkisneededtounderstandthetechnologyandhowitcanbebestusedinthevarietyofconditionsfoundinUKwaters,thisstartsbybringingtogetherthoseinvolvedandinterestedineco-mooringstosharetheirexperiences.

TheNationalTrusthostedaworkshopinOctober2017,incollaborationwithNaturalEnglandandtheMarineManagementOrganisation,tostarttheprocessofsharingideasandknowledge.The28participantswhoattendedincludedrepresentativesfromresearchorganisations,portsauthorities,theyachtingandmarinaindustry,theRoyalYachtingAssociationandtheWildlifeTrusts.

Delegatessharedtheresultsof thevarioustrialsofeco-mooringsthatareunderway, fromtheir longerestablishedusearoundLundyIsland,toearlytrialsofdifferentdesignsinTorbayandPlymouthSound.Thelatterisarecentgovernmentledprojectreviewingcurrentknowledge,thescientificevidencefromresearchontheimpactsofanchoringandmooring,anddiscussionsonthemanagementoptionssuitablefordifferentlocationsandsituations.

TheOctoberworkshoprevealedthewideranginglevelofinterestinthistechnologyandtheneedtodisseminatethecurrentworkthatisunderway.Asaresult,anetworkofover60individualsandorganisationrepresentativeshasbeenestablishedforfurthersharingofinformationandideasforresearchandfundingopportunities.Webpagesareindevelopmenttoholdreports,informationandotherdocumentation.

ForfurtherinformationcontactJanMaclennanfromNaturalEnglandatemailjan.maclennan@naturalengland.org.uk.

Natural England and the Marine Management Organisationcommissionedastudytocollateandupdatetheevidencebaseon the significance of impacts from recreational activities ondesignatedfeaturesinMarineProtectedAreas(MPAs).

Thestudyalso carriedout a reviewandcollated case studyexamplesofa rangeofmanagementoptionssuchascodesof conduct; it also undertook engagement with the nationalgoverning bodies to look at existing national good practice,opportunitiesforfurtherworkandrecommendations.

Theoutputsinclude:• Thirteenevidencebriefingnotesfordifferentactivities

bothmarineandcoastal,toprovideahighlevelreviewoftheevidencebaserelatingtotheimpactsofeachactivitygrouponbiologicalfeaturesandagenericassessmentofthelikelihoodofsignificantimpactsonadesignatedsite’sConservationObjectives.

• Amanagementtoolkit(anexcelfile)toprovideahighlevelreviewofthetypesofmeasuresavailableformanagingrecreationalactivities,therolesandresponsibilitiesofrelevantauthoritiesandcasestudyexamplesofdifferentmanagementmeasures.

• Aprojectreport,whichprovidesfurtherinformationonthestudymethodologyandhighlightstherecommendationsfrombothregulatorsandstakeholdersinrelationtogoodpracticemessagingandmitigationofimpactsfrommarinerecreationalactivities.

Viewthestudyoutputsathttp://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/.

ConservationWaders and Brent Goose Strategy Update

Green Halo PartnershipBusiness and community leaders have come together tolaunch a new partnership and pledge to ensure our mostpreciouslandscapesworkinharmonywiththeeconomy.

The Green Halo Partnership brings together organisationsfromacrosscentralsouthernEnglandtoprotectandenhanceour‘naturalcapital’;thebenefitswederivefromnaturesuchas clean air and water, protection from flooding, food andoutdooractivities.

Architects, wildlife charities, councils, utility businesses,health bodies, universities and civil engineering firmswereamongaround70organisationssigninguptothepartnershipat its launch at the Ordnance Survey in Southampton inNovember2017.

Theconferenceincludedworkshopsaroundfourthemeswithideasputforwardto:

• Supportthelocaleconomy.• Improvehealthandwellbeing.• Encouragesustainableliving.• Enhancethenaturalenvironment.Fordetailsseewww.newforestnpa.gov.uk/greenhalo.

Thesecondyearofsurveystoupdatethe‘WadersandBrentGooseStrategy’areunderwaythiswinter.The aim of theStrategy is to identify the networkofsitesusedbywadingbirdsandbrentgeesethatareinlandoftheSolent’sSpecialProtectionAreas(SPAs).

Lastyear,surveyswerecarriedout in theEasternSolent, this year the project team are surveyingtheWestern Solent. They have developed a newmethodtoobservebirdmovementstoandfromtheintertidalandalsobetween inlandsites inorder tobetterunderstandhowthewholenetworkfunctions.

Keytothemovementsurveysisthecommunicationofobservedmovementsbetweensurveyorstoworkoutoriginsanddestinations.Therearethreesurveyseach month, one at each of dawn, midday andduskinordertouncoverkeyhabitsandbehavioursthroughoutthelightcycleoftheday.ThisyearthesurveyorshavealsorecordedmovementsacrosstheSolentbetweentheIsleofWightandthemainland.Thesurveysarecarriedoutbyprofessionalecologistsandvolunteerbirders,andareco-ordinatedbyHampshire&IsleofWightWildlifeTrustonbehalfoftheSolentWadersandBrentGooseSteeringGroup.AthirdyearofsurveyisplannedfornextyearandanupdatedStrategydocumentistobepublishedin2019.Aninterimreportforlastyear’sresultswithnewmapping,andimportantlynewmitigationguidanceisnowavailable.FormoreinformationonhowtoaccessthedatapleasecontacttheHampshireBiodiversityInformationCentreandforinformationonthesurveyworkpleasecontactDeborahWhitfieldatHampshire&IsleofWightWildlifeTrust,email:Deborah.Whitfield@hiwwt.org.uk.

Image courtesy of Trevor Codlin

The Environment Agency has announced plans to mapEngland’sentirelandscapeby2020,thedatawillbeusedtoassessfloodriskandinformconservationwork.

Usingaircraftequippedwithlaserscanners,theAgencywillmapall130,000km2of thecountry, includingrivers,fieldsandnationalparks.

Aswellasbeingusedtounderstandfloodrisk,thedatawillalsobemadeavailableforfreetothepublicandindustrytoallowthemtomakeandaccessaccurate3Dmodelsofthelandscape.

Currently about 75percent of the country ismappedbutwith only sporadic coverage of upland areas. The newproject, beginning this winter, will cover all of England’snational parks,Areas ofOutstandingNaturalBeauty andSitesofSpecialScientificInterest.

The Environment Agency has been using lidar (lightdetection and ranging) technology for 20 years tobetter understand flood risk. The data collectedis used to plan flood defences across whole rivercatchments. Find out more via the Agency’s blog at:https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/.

Landscape Laser Mapping

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Heritage

Southsea Castle Water Feature

Haslar Barracks ConsultationLocalpeoplehavebeenasked tohelpGosportBoroughCouncil protect a unique set of military buildings whichplayedacrucialpartinBritishhistory.

The council is taking steps to make the 19th centuryHaslar Barracks, near the formerHaslarHospital, into aconservationarea.

By doing this, it can tighten up planning rules and helpensure that any future development preserves the site’sspecialcharacter.

Tomaketheprotectionevenstronger,itneededtogatherviews and information from Gosport’s residents so lastyear it ranaconsultationtogatherpeople’s ideasontheproposals. This feedback will help it draw up a detaileddocumentsettingoutthecaseforprotectingthesite.Thisdocument, the ‘HaslarBarracksConservationAreaAppraisal’,willbeusedbyplanners todefend thebarracksagainstinappropriatedevelopment.

Intheconsultation,residentswereaskedif theysupportthedesignationofthebarracksasaconservationarea,andiftheyagreewiththearea’sboundaries.Theycouldalsocontributehistoricalorarchitecturalinformation,andmakeothercomments.Visitwww.gosport.gov.uk/haslarbarracksformoreinformation.

Builtin1802,HaslarBarracksisanextremelyrareexampleofaNapoleonic-erainfantrybarracks.ItplayedastrategicroleinthedefenceoflocalmilitaryestablishmentsatatimewhenaFrenchinvasionwasfearedtobeimminent.Aftertimeasahospital,itwasusedbytheRoyalEngineersandthen,duringtheSecondWorldWar,asananti-aircraftbrigade.ItwasthenoccupiedbytheRoyalArmyOrdnanceCorps.

Afterthe1950sitbecameayouthoffenders’centre,beforeitsfinaluseasanimmigrationholdingcentre.Thisclosedearlierlastyear,andthecomplexisnowempty.Theowner,theMinistryofJustice,hasputitupforsale.

Photo courtesy of Gosport Borough Council

AnewprojecttoenhanceSouthseaseafronthasbegunwithworkcommencingonanewwaterfeatureoutsideSouthseaCastle.

PortsmouthCityCouncilwillbereplacingtheexistingfountainwith30waterjets,eachofwhichhascolouredlightsandcanbecoordinatedtocreatearangeofdifferentdisplays.

The area the jets will sit in can also be used to create areflectivepoolinfrontofthecastle.

Plans for this new water feature are included withinthe council’s seafront masterplan. When finished, it willcomplementotherimprovementsbeingmadetotheareaaspartoftheD-DayMuseum’stransformationproject.

TheseincludecreatinganewcommemorativespacefortheD-DayStone,sympathetically relocating thestatueofFieldMarshalMontgomeryanddevelopinganewspaceforLCT7074,oneofthefewsurvivingD-Daylandingcraft,whichwilldisplaytheD-DayMuseum’stwotanks.Theprojectwillbecompletedinspring2018.

TheMaritimeArchaeologyTrustismarkingthecentenaryofthelossoftheUSSJacobJonesover30milessouthof the Isles of Scilly with a new publication and onlineresources.The Trust have been researching the vessel and thecircumstancesof its lossandhavepublished ‘ForgottenWrecks of the First World War: USS Jacob Jones thefirst US destroyer sunk by enemy action’. This tells thestoryoftheship,itswartimecareerandsinking,andpaystributetothose66menwhowerelost.Atranscriptionofinformation,heldinTheNationalArchives,hasalsobeenmadeavailableonitswebsite.TheTrustarebuildingaprojecttoinvestigatetheseabedwreckage through the survey and the collection ofphotographicdata.Thiswillbeusedtocreatea3Dmodelofthesite,whichcanbeusedasa‘wrecktour’toprovideaccesstothishistoricsiteforthepublicacrosstheglobeand further commemorate those lost at sea. It is alsocurrentlyseekingsupportforthisproject.Findoutmoreat:www.maritimearchaeologytrust.org/uss-jacob-jones.

USS Jacob Jones

Harbours & BusinessCowes Harbour Commission Promotes Cruise Calls to the Isle of Wight

Southern Water Tackles Wastewater Misconnections

Cowes Harbour Commission is working withDestination Cowes and the Island’s tourismorganisation,VisitIsleofWight,topromoteCowesasauniquedestinationport-of-call.There isstillarisingdemandforthecruiseshipmarket,includinggrowthforNorthernEuropeanluxurycruises.Cowes offers great visitor appeal with cruise shippassengers able to visit world famous touristattractions such as Queen Victoria’s magnificentOsborne House in East Cowes. Every year, anumberofsmallandmedium-sizedcruiseshipsonNorthernEuropeanitinerariesvisittheIsleofWighttoenjoyCowes,aswellastheIsland’scoastlinesandlandscapes.ThisnewCowesHarbourCommissioninitiative seeks to secure increasedcruise calls toCowesforthebenefitoftheharbour,townandlocaleconomy.

Cruise vessels up to 150m can use the Cowesanchorage in theSolent,withafiveminute tenderrun toTrinityLanding.Largervessels,over150m,are safely anchored in the ABPAnchorage, fromwhereitisa15minutetendertripashoretoCowes.CruisevisitorsarriveontoTheParade,whichisnexttoHenryVIII’s‘CowesCastle’,hometotheprestigiousRoyalYachtSquadron.

Ocean Majesty at Cowes, photo courtesy of Cowes Harbour Commission

SouthernWateriscarryingoutnetworksurveysinsevenareasaspartofamajorschemetobringbathingwaterqualityuptothe‘excellent’ratingby2020,thisincludesSelseyinSussexandShanklinontheIsleofWight.Theseareashavebeenselectedforarangeofimprovementsaspartofits£31.5million‘BathingWaterEnhancementProgramme’,thefirstofitskindintheUK.

SouthernWaterspentayearcarryingoutarangeofdetailedinvestigationsincludingwatercoursesampling,DNAanalysisandCCTVsurveysofsewerstounderstandthecausesofpollutionateachoftheshortlistedbathingwaters.Theyalsoundertookaseriesofcustomerfocusgroupswithlocalcustomersandbusinesses.

As part of the scheme, they are speaking to thousands of customers to help trace property misconnections; wherewastewaterpipesareincorrectlyplumbedintosurfacewaterdrains.Thesemisconnectionsleadtowastewaterfromtoilets,kitchensandbathroomsbeingpumpedouttoseabeforeit’streated,affectingthequalityofbathingwateratlocalbeaches.It isalsoworkingcloselywith localauthoritieson tacklingmisconnectionsandother issues,suchasdogwasteon thebeach,whicharecurrentlypreventingbathingwaterreachingthehigheststandard.

CheckingformisconnectionsisbeingcarriedoutonSouthernWater’sbehalfbyMWHLtdandsurveyingexpertsWERMLtd.Whilemostoftheworkwillbecarriedoutonpublicland,surveyorsmayneedtoaskpermissionfromhouseholdersandbusinessestoaccesspartoftheirpropertytocompletethechecks.Ifmisconnectionsarefoundthewatercompanyworkswithpropertyowners,businessesandthelocalcouncils’environmentalhealthteamstofindthequickestandeasiestwaytocorrectit.

TomGallagherisSouthernWater’snewbathingwatermanager.Hisjobistofocusonthequalityofbathingwatersacrosstheregion,liaisingwithcolleaguesintheEnvironmentAgency,localcouncils,communitygroups,wildlifeorganisationsandothers,discussingtheissuesthataffectbathingwaterquality.

FormoreinformationonSouthernWater’sBathingWaterEnhancementProgrammepleasevisitwww.southernwater.co.uk/bathingwaterenhancement.Tocheckyourhomeformisconnections,visitwww.connectright.org.

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More News

Solent Oyster Restoration Project Update

The Blue Belt ProgrammeThe ‘Blue Belt Programme’ has been published by the Foreign &CommonwealthOffice,CentreforEnvironment,FisheriesandAquacultureScience,andtheMarineManagementOrganisation.Itsupportsdeliveryof the UK Government’s manifesto commitment to provide long termprotection forover fourmillionsquarekilometresofmarineenvironmentacrosstheUKOverseasTerritories.Itprovides£20millionoffundingoverfouryears(2016to2020)to:

• Improvescientificunderstandingofthemarineenvironment.• Developandimplementevidence-based,tailoredmarinemanagement

strategiesincludingsurveillanceandenforcement.

• Ensuremanagementissustainableandlongterm.TheUKandtheUKOverseasTerritoriesarecustodianstothefifth-largestmarineestateintheworld.Theseterritoriesandtheirwatersarehometoglobally significant biodiversity, from vast penguin colonies in theSouthAtlantictotropicalrainforestsintheCaribbean.Someoftheirspeciesandhabitatsareunique.

The Programme is initially focused on seven islands andarchipelagos: British Indian Ocean Territory, South Georgia andthe South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory, Pitcairn,St Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha. Find out more athttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-blue-belt-programme.

November 2017 saw the opening of the oyster fisherywithin Portsmouth, Langstone and Chichester Harbours.Using this opportunity, theBlueMarineFoundationwereable topurchaseandprotecta further10,000oysters fortheirOysterRestorationProject.Thisisinadditiontothosepurchasedinthepreviousyearforsuspendedcagetrials,thatweredevelopedwiththeUniversityofPortsmouthandMDLMarinas. The new oysterswill be incorporated intothe roll-out of the cages into other marina and pontoonlocations across the Solent, further increasing the larvaloutputinsuitableareas.

For their work and support as a project partner, MDLMarinas has been nominated for a Boating BusinessEnvironmentAward.

SeabedtrialsarenowunderwayandtheywillbeconductedbytheUniversityofSouthampton’sZoëHolbrookandChrisHauton,whohavedeployedoyster-filledgabionsaspartofZoë’sPhDresearch.Thispartoftherestorationprojectwilllookintotheeffectsofrelayingdensityandelevationfromtheseabedonthephysiologicalperformanceofthenativeoyster.Previoustrialshaveshownthatraisingoysterstoanenvironmentwithlowerbacterialcountsandreducedsedimentloadresultinmoreefficientparticleclearancethanthoseleftontheseabed.Thisresearchwillalsoinvestigatetheeffectofhighstockingdensityonreproductionandprevalenceofdiseasewhichisbelievedtoincreasewithdensity.

TheProjecthasrecentlygainedthebackingofEmsworth’sBlueBellInnandPortsmouth’sStaggeringlyGoodBrewerywhohavecreatedanewbrewinaidoftherestorationeffort.‘Emsworth’sBishopSlayerOysterStout’isprovidingbothfinancialsupportandavitallinkthatconnectsthedeeplyembeddedheritageofthelocalareawiththeoysterproject.

More NewsYear of the Pier!

With support from the Heritage Lottery Fund andYarmouth Harbour Commissioners’, the year2018willsee the restorationof theGrade II listedYarmouthPier and thedelivery ofThePier’sTaleProject.Alongwiththereplacementoftimberpilesthe project will let the Pier tell its own stories of140 years of living in Yarmouth, from its originalconstructionandchangesintheworldaroundit towhatliesbeneath.

Structural work begins in February and will takeapproximately five months to complete. Timberreclaimed from the works at Portsmouth Harbourhas been secured for the project, reducing theimpactonglobaltimberresources.ThewoodfromthePieritselfwillalsobereusedwhereverpossible.

ThePierwillbeclosedduringtheworksbuttherearelots of ongoing activities to encourage engagementwithlocalheritageandtolearnmoreaboutthisfascinatingstructure’splaceinthecoastal landscape.OverthelastsixmonthsthePierhasbeenverybusytellingtalesandover400schoolpupilshavealreadylearntaboutitsheritageandconstructionduringinteractivesessionsdeliveredwithinschools.Thesesessionscoverthebuilt,socialandnaturalheritageandalsohighlight thediversityof coastal careers.ThePierhasalsovisitedshelteredhousingcommunitiesandothergroupsofpeoplethatareunabletovisitit.

ThePier’sTaleProjecthasalsoundertakensomegreatsurveyworkwithpartnersfromBournemouthUniversityandtheSouthernIFCA,providingawealthofinformationaboutthelocalunderwaterworld.Alloftheinformationcollectedisbeingusedtoenhancetheengagementactivitiesandtoprovidebaselinedataforfutureresearch.

Throughout the year the Pier will update everyone through its Facebook page (yarmouthpier) and website:www.yarmouthpier.org.uk. For more information about the project please contact Sue Hawley at email sue.hawley@yarmouth-harbour.co.uk.

Photo courtesy of Yarmouth Harbour Commissioners

ThefruitsofacreativeartsprojectonWightlink’sLymingtontoYarmouthroutehavebeensharedwithislandersandmainlandersthiswinter.

Wightlinkhaswelcomedsongwriters,poetsandmusiciansonboarditsshipsoverthe last twoyears togain inspiration forartworkson the themeofarrivalsanddepartures.

Anexhibitionstand,featuringphotographsandpoemsinspiredbycross-Solentjourneys,hasbeenondisplayatbothLymingtonandYarmouthandonboardtheWightLightferryoverthelastfewweeks.

TheFerryTalesproject,ledbyRobynBolamwithLydiaFulleylove,JCGrimshaw,DomPragandphotographer,MarkLanigan,wasfundedbytheNationalLotterythrough Arts Council England. It concluded with exhibitions and concerts atDimbolaMuseum&GalleriesandtheLymingtonArtsFestivalduring2017.

ThankingWightlinkstafffortheirwelcomeandsupport,Robyncomments:“TakingourFerryTalesdisplaytoandfroontheSolentwasawonderfulendtoaprojectthatreachedalotofpeopleonbothsidesofthewater.”

Formoreinformationpleaseseewww.ferrytales.orgorthegroup’sFacebookpageatwww.facebook.com/ferrytalesproject.

Arts Inspiration from Ferry Travel

Wightlink steward Tony Edney with the Ferry Tales display

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News & SnippetsChannel Electricity Link Project

Snippets

Bembridge Harbour Plans

• Wightlinkwon‘BestFamilyFerryOperator2017’andwaspresentedwiththeawardatthethirdannualFamilyTravellerAwardsceremony,on21November.Attractingarecord45,000votesfromthemagazineandwebsite’sreadership,everyelementofafamilytripwasvotedonbyreaders.

• Chancellor,PhilipHammond,hasannouncedacallforevidenceontaxingandchargingforsingle-useplasticsintheBudget.TheChancellorsaidthemovewastohelppreventpollutionintheworld’soceansandtoprotecttheenvironment.

• Theconstructionofthesecondstate-of-the-arthigh-speedpassengerferry,RedJet7,israpidlytakingshapeatWightShipyardCoinEastCowesontheIsleofWight.The£7m,41metrevesselisexpectedtoenterthewateraheadofscheduleinMay2018.

• Afleetofpioneeringmarinerobots,builtandoperatedbytheNationalOceanographyCentreanditspartners,hassuccessfullydetectedwhalesandporpoisesandrecordedthesoundstheymakeinasurveyofthedeepoceanoffnorthernScotland.

• ‘Seafood2040-AStrategicFrameworkforEngland(SF2040)’isanewpublicationthatsetsoutavisionfortheseafoodsupplychain.Itidentifiesactionsforhowtheindustrycangrowtotherecommendedconsumptionleveloftwoservingsoffishperpersonperweek,whileensuringcontinuedsustainabilityofsupplyinboththewildcaughtandaquaculturesectors.Readthepublicationathttp://www.seafish.org/media/publications/SEAFOOD_2040_lo_singlep_071217.pdf.

• AnewHarbourMasterisatthehelmatthePortofSouthampton.CaptainPhilBuckleyassumedresponsibilityon3rdJanuarywhenCaptainMartinPhippsretiredafter28yearsattheportandsevenyearsasHarbourMaster.TheHarbourMasterisresponsible for thesafenavigationofallvesselsusing theportandoperatingacross thewiderSolent, lastyear160,000vesselmovements,includingsomeofthelargestshipsintheworld,wererecordedexcludingleisurecraft.

• TheEnvironmentalAuditCommitteeistoconsiderthenature,scaleandimpactsofnitratepollutionontheenvironmentandhumanlife,andreviewtheGovernment’sapproachtotheregulationofthechemicalsconcernedanditsapproachtoreducingthem.

The IFA2 (Interconnexion France-Angleterre) project is a1,000MW high voltage direct current (HVDC) link, whichwill run fromNormandy toHampshire.Theproject isbeingcarriedoutbyNationalGrid IFA2LtdandRTE(theFrenchtransmissionsystemoperator).

TheHVDCcableswillberoutedthroughtheChannelandintotheSolenttoalandfallatMonksHillBeach,andthenaroundSolentAirportatDaedalustotheConverterStation.

TheNationalGridhassecuredplanningpermission for theprincipleofbuildinganewinterconnector.Thisincludesoutlineplanningpermissionfortheconverterstationandnewpublicopen space, full planning permission for the undergroundcablestotheconverterstation,andconnectingtheconverterstationtothesubstationnearChilling,Warsash.

The Marine Management Organisation has granted TheNationalGridamarinelicencefortheinstallationoftheUKsectionoftheinterconnectorsubseacablesbetweenFranceand the United Kingdom. IFA2 aims to be operational by2020.

See http://www.ifa2interconnector.com/about-ifa2/ for moreinformation.

In December 2015, the Isle of Wight Council issued aresolutiontograntplanningapproval,subjecttoaSection106PlanningAgreement,forthenewBembridgeHarbourfacilitiescomplexandotherbenefitstobeconstructedinaphasedplan,beforethe13housesarebuilttogetherwithanobligationforany‘excess’profittobereinvestedwithintheHarbour.InthefollowingFebruary,BembridgeHarbourTrust issued a legal paper setting out their reasons thatfourproceduralaspectshadnotbeenprocessedcorrectlywhentheplanningapplicationwasconsidered.

During the intervening months, all the reasons raisedby the Trust have been reconsidered by the Council inconjunctionwithaQCplanningbarrister,NaturalEngland,theEnvironmentAgencyandtheDistrictValuerServices.Afullreportwasreviewedataplanningcommitteemeetingon12thDecember2017.

Theplanningcommitteevotedinfavourofapprovalasanendorsementoftheoriginaldecision.Therearesomeslightrevisions to the presently agreed Section 106 PlanningAgreement, to enable the document to be agreed andsigned,andtoallowthedevelopmentplanstocommence.The‘masterprogramme’originallydraftedinJanuary2016isnowbeingupdatedandrevised.

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Solent News

The Solent Forum

Since1992, theSolentForumhasprovidedaplatform todeliver IntegratedCoastalZoneManagement in theSolent sub-region of the southeast. It operates at a strategic coastalmanagement level, providing a networkforcloserworkingrelationships,informationdisseminationanddiscussionoftopicalcoastalissues.TheSolentForummembersmeettwiceayearandwillnextmeeton15March2018.

SolentNewsispreparedandeditedbytheSolentForumOfficers.Itisabiannualpublicationandissue44willbeproducedinsummer2018.Tofindoutmoreaboutthepublication,howtosubmitarticlesorbeincludedonthemailinglist,pleasevisitwww.solentforum.org/publications/solent_news/.

Contact Information

Solent Forumc/o Hampshire County CouncilEconomy, Transport and Environment Department EII Court West 1st Floor, The CastleWinchester SO23 8UDTel: 01962 846027Email: info@solentforum.org. Twitter @solent_forum

HMS Queen Elizabeth Commissioned in Portsmouth

HerMajestyTheQueen,hascommissionedtheUK’snewaircraftcarrierHMSQueenElizabethintotheRoyalNavy.AfterthecommissioningwarrantwasreadouttheiconicWhiteEnsignwasraised,symbolisingthenation’sfutureflagshipcommissioning.

TheshipisoneofthebiggestwarshipseverbuiltfortheRoyalNavyprovidingfouracresofsovereignterritory,deployableacrosstheglobetoservetheUnitedKingdomonoperationsforfiftyyears.

Theshipwillberthatthenewly-namedandupgradedPrincessRoyalJettyatHerMajesty’sNavalBasePortsmouth,whichwillbehometobothofthenewaircraftcarriers.Thesecond,HMSPrinceofWales,willbeofficiallynamedinaceremonyatRosyth.

Bothaircraftcarriersarebeingdeliveredby theAircraftCarrierAlliance,apartnershipbetween theMinistryofDefenceandindustry.

ThefollowingorganisationssteertheworkoftheSolentForum.