Protected coastline at Dibden Bay

In 2004, CPRE Hampshire successfully campaigned to stop a container port from being built along nearly two kilometres of unspoilt coastline. Plans to build a new superport were rejected by the Government in April 2005.

The proposed container terminal at Dibden Bay, on the edge of the New Forest, would have destroyed wildlife areas of national and international importance and prevented the area's inclusion in the New Forest National Park.

Dibden Bay lies within the Southampton Water Special Protection Area and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

These are the points that we made during the year-long public inquiry:

• The container terminal would be within the proposed New Forest National Park, while access roads and a park and ride scheme would be within the New Forest Heritage Area.
• The Southampton Water and Solent Special Protection Area for waterfowl would be largely lost.
• The Dibden Bay SSSI for nature conservation would be lost altogether.
• Local communities would be adversely affected.
• Hampshire would get more traffic on its roads.
• Southampton would lose its rural outlook and visual link with the New Forest.

CPRE Hampshire argued that Associated British Ports' proposed £750m container port at Dibden Bay would destroy an important environment and blight lives by bringing more traffic to the area through two nearby national parks.

County branch chairman, Christopher Napier credits the branch's expertise and focus for its success. He said: "CPRE Hampshire has fought long and hard against this proposal, in alliance with residents', wildlife and ecological groups that care about one of the few tranquil spots left on the Solent."

CPRE Hampshire acknowledged a predicted national need to develop more container handling capacity over the next few years in the south east, however this area is a landscape of national importance and there was not an overriding need for this particular site to be developed.

This page updated 2nd June 2006