Tipner West
Plans for a hugely damaging development on the edge of Portsmouth Harbour have been shelved for now… but is the site really saved?
.jpg)
On this page
When Portsmouth City Council’s initial plans for the redevelopment of Tipner West first appeared, we could have been forgiven for thinking they weren’t serious. They proposed an audacious ‘super peninsula’, involving concreting over around 30 hectares of Portsmouth Harbour Special Protection Area and Ramsar site, for a marine employment hub and as many as 4,000 new houses. But they weren’t joking.
Seven years on, and the Council are finally scaling back their proposals to avoid any direct land-take from the designated wildlife sites. This follows two negative opinions from Government on the legality of the proposals under the laws protecting our internationally important wildlife sites.
However, cases like Tipner West are rarely straightforward. Following threats of a legal challenge by the City Council, both Government opinions were withdrawn. A third opinion is currently expected. In the meantime, the Council are currently pursuing the ‘safer’ option through their local plan. But the back-and-forth over the legality of the ecologically damaging proposals has still left the future of the site in question.
Why is it worth fighting for?
Tipner West is positioned on the north-west edge of Portsmouth Harbour, a vast expanse of mudflats, tidal creeks and saltmarsh. It’s internationally recognised for providing vital shelter and a rich source of food for thousands of Dark-bellied Brent Geese and other waterbirds that visit here each winter from as far afield as Siberia and Greenland.
The need for employment and housing in the city of Portsmouth is not in question, but that must not – and need not – come at the expense of critical sites for nature. If it were allowed to happen here, we fear it would set a precedent for more damaging schemes to override wildlife protections elsewhere. With the threats of climate change and global biodiversity collapse, it’s more important than ever that all new development is sustainable, and that means building in harmony with nature.
Our position
Over the years, the RSPB and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust have campaigned hard against the Council’s damaging development proposals for the site. We’ve pressed for a more nature-positive future for Tipner West, even taking the unusual step of commissioning a firm of landscape architects to design a scheme. This design stayed in line with the Council’s development aspirations, but also in harmony with the internationally important wildlife that calls this area home.
Although the Council previously concluded that the RSPB and Wildlife Trust’s vision for the site was financially unviable, their current plans are starting to move much closer to our original concept. The Council’s amended proposals are now part of the draft Portsmouth Local Plan that’s been submitted to Government for examination.
While we’ve cautiously welcomed the amended proposals, we’re concerned Portsmouth City Council may still revert back to a damaging scheme that risks crossing the ‘red line’ for nature. If they do, we’ll be ready to stand up for nature.
How you can help
We’ll continue to provide important updates to the Tipner West case on this page. You can also keep an eye out for updates on Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s website.
News of the Portsmouth Local Plan examination is available on the Council’s website. If you submitted responses to the earlier draft Portsmouth Local Plan consultations, including through the RSPB and Wildlife Trust’s ‘Don’t Cross the Line’ campaign, you’ll be able to submit further comments during the examination. You’ll also receive update emails directly from the Council.
Note: we ask that any existing supporters of the RSPB and Wildlife Trust ‘Don’t Cross the Line’ campaign don’t withdraw their previous objections to the Portsmouth Local Plan. This applies even if you’re not planning to weigh in again during the plan’s examination. It’s important that the planning inspectors see every objection raised against the damaging Tipner West proposals.
Timeline
March 2026
Portsmouth City Council submits its draft Portsmouth Local Plan to Government for examination.
November 2025 – January 2026
Public consultation is undertaken on an addendum to the draft Portsmouth Local Plan. The addendum includes a replacement policy for Tipner West that avoids any direct damage to the Special Protection Area and Ramsar site.
The RSPB cautiously welcomes the new draft policy for Tipner West.
October 2025
Following further threats of legal challenge from Portsmouth City Council, Government withdraws their second Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest (IROPI) opinion.
July 2025
Government issues a second IROPI opinion, again concluding that the Tipner West proposal set out in the draft Portsmouth Local Plan doesn’t meet a key legal test for an exception to the wildlife protections.
May 2025
Following threats of legal challenge from Portsmouth City Council, Government withdraws their first IROPI opinion.
February 2025
Portsmouth City Council receive the first IROPI opinion from Government. This concludes that the proposed scheme for Tipner West, as set out in their draft Local Plan, doesn’t meet one of the three key tests for an exception under the laws protecting the surrounding wildlife area (Portsmouth Special Protection Area and Ramsar Wetland Site). The submission of the draft Portsmouth Local Plan is paused while the Council decide on a new proposal for Tipner West.
July - September 2024
The final public consultation takes place on Portsmouth City Council’s draft Local Plan, prior to submission to the Government for examination. This includes a policy for Tipner West that would allow development resulting in direct damage to the internationally important wildlife sites. That damage would include the direct loss of around 10 hectares of intertidal and other marine habitat, and over four hectares of coastal grassland.
The RSPB and Wildlife Trust launch another campaign to send a message to the Council and Government of support for a wilder future for Tipner West. This aims to ensure the future of the protected nature sites and not set a dangerous precedent that allows nature protections to be overridden. Just under 7,000 people add their support to the campaign by objecting to the Tipner West policy in the draft Local Plan.
2022-present
Portsmouth City Council consider options to deliver the marine hub and housing at Tipner West while taking advice from the statutory agencies, as well as the RSPB and Wildlife Trust. Despite our strong advice, many of the options still include building over parts of the protected sites.
October 2022
Portsmouth City Council officially rule out the Tipner West super-peninsula option, but also rule out the ‘do nothing’ option for the site. This sets new parameters for delivering the marine hub and new housing at Tipner West.
April 2022
The RSPB and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust launch a challenge to Portsmouth City Council to consider an alternative option for Tipner West, one that safeguards the protected sites whilst meeting the Council’s goals for housing and development. We also set out our key asks for any future development at Tipner West, and ask the public to join with us by contacting Portsmouth’s councillors and demanding that they #Don’tCrossTheLine.
December 2021
Following the ‘pause and rethink’ motion, the Council’s Tipner regeneration team present a report to the Council. This results in a cross-party working group of councillors re-examining the options for Tipner West.
November 2021
In partnership with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, we write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. This expresses our concerns with Portsmouth City Council’s approach to setting a new housing target, and with the proposals at Tipner West.
October 2021
Portsmouth City Council votes to ‘pause and rethink’ the Tipner super-peninsula development, citing concerns over the environmental damage and public money spent to date (£10.8 million). The Council’s Cabinet is instructed to prepare a report on the status of the project outlining total spend to date, viable alternative options for Tipner West and a timeline for further decisions to be made. This report will be discussed at the Full Council meeting in December.
More than 9,000 people comment on Portsmouth City Council’s draft Local Plan through the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and RSPB campaign. They express the importance of Tipner for wildlife, and the impact the site has on their personal health and wellbeing.
The RSPB and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust submit a joint response to Portsmouth City Council’s draft Local Plan setting out our strong opposition to the super-peninsula. We also raise concerns that it could undermine the Council’s entire Local Plan if they press ahead with the scheme.
September-October 2021
Portsmouth City Council consult the public on their ‘Regulation 18’ draft local plan, including an option for the super-peninsula at Tipner West.
The RSPB and the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust launch a new campaign that encourages people to object to the super-peninsula option in the draft local plan. Over 9,000 people object via the campaign action.
November 2020
Portsmouth City Council rebrand the super-peninsula as ‘Lennox Point’, describing it as ‘a unique site where land meets sea’ and ‘an iconic and captivating gateway into Portsmouth’. But the rebrand can’t hide that the now expanded 4,000 house and 100,000 sq metre marine employment development would build over around 30 hectares of Portsmouth Harbour’s protected mudflats and coastal grassland.
The RSPB and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust launch the #DontGoThere petition to save Portsmouth Harbour’s wildlife. An incredible 25,000 people sign the petition, adding their opposition to the super-peninsula development.
March 2019
The RSPB respond to Portsmouth City Council’s Tipner and Horsea Strategic Development Area Consultation, expressing our strongest objection to initial proposals for a 3,400 house and 30,000 sq. metre ‘super-peninsula’ development. This would have involved the reclamation of a substantial area of the Portsmouth Harbour SPA and Ramsar site. The Council describe the proposals as a continuation of land reclamation trends around Portsea Island, but times have changed. Development over protected nature reserves is no longer acceptable for a housing and business development.