• Enjoying Our Coast
• Managing Our Coast
• Our Biodiversity
• Our Changing Coast
• Alien Species
• Climate change
• Coastal Squeeze
• New developments
• Sea-level change
• Shoreline evolution
• Trends and Indicators
• Our Coastal Zone
• Our Economy and Industries
• Our Heritage

New Developments

The coastline of the Solent is constantly evolving as sites are developed, redeveloped or undergo change of use to respond to the current economic, social and political climate.  This page summarises current developments that are taking place or are in progress.

Yarmouth Harbour

The Harbour Commissioners have decided to go ahead with Phases 2 and 3 of the Harbour Development plan during the winter of 2012/13.These phases involve a new quay wall in the south west corner of the inner harbour close to the bridge, a new crane in this area and an environmentally friendly wash down facility. The commercial berthing area will be rearranged. In addition the existing crane on South Quay will be dismantled and paving will be extended along the edge of South Quay to the Harbour Office.  A pontoon walkway will be positioned along the face of South Quay, and a new ‘T’ shaped pontoon installed off South Quay with berths for 15 visiting boats.  Letters of intent have been issued to contractors for the work that is due to start at the beginning of October and completed for Easter 2013.

Portsmouth Port Master Plan

The City of Portsmouth is in the process of transformation. This time of reshaping Portsmouth for a future of greater economic growth and prosperity comes as the Port itself is going through a transformation with infrastructure improvements including a new terminal, improved access by road and water, and new technology to speed cargo discharge, processing and delivery. These investments also represent a greater emphasis on co-operation with the continent, with Port aspirations meeting EC objectives resulting in the Port cooperating in several EU programmes under the European Regional Development Fund. Investing in infrastructure might be the most obvious means of remaining successful, but taking advantage of opportunities as and when they appear can also provide prosperity for the Port. This is particularly the case with respect to land use when the strategic defence review may allow land and berths to become available in Portsmouth Naval Base. With the Economic Impact Study and the Traffic Forecast both indicating that the passenger cruise industry represents one of the best potential areas of growth for Portsmouth, the contraction of naval assets in Portsmouth represents a potential opportunity.

A Master Plan for the Port of Portsmouth for the next 15 years has been published and is open to public consultation. This important new document outlines key strategies for growth at the Port. Six strategies are outlined to keep the Port a profitable going concern in the 15 years to 2026: major infrastructure investments; corporate social responsibility; land use; business planning; carbon reduction and improved energy management; and future infrastructure. The Master Plan was unveiled at an international summit on the port industry held in Portsmouth on 20 October 2011 as part of the EU’s Ports Adapting to Change (PATCH) project. 

Tipner

Plans for the regeneration of Portsmouth have received a huge boost with the announcement of almost 19.5m pound of government funding for the redevelopment of Tipner.  The Department for Transport (DfT) has awarded the money for the construction of a new motorway junction on the M275 accompanied by a park and ride facility and a southbound bus priority lane.  Portsmouth City Council secured the money to go alongside more than 8.5m pound it is investing in the project, which is vital to the city's overall regeneration plans.

Southampton Approach Channel Dredge and Shipping Channel

This proposal, which is referred to as the Southampton Approach Channel Dredge (SACD), involves selective deepening and widening of the navigation channel at various locations within Southampton Water and the Solent and comprises two elements:

• The deepening and widening of the main navigational approach channel to the Port of Southampton; and
• The disposal of the estimated 11.6 million m³ of dredged material at the Nab Tower Disposal Ground, to the east of the Isle of Wight, unless a beneficial use can be identified.

Associated British Ports (ABP) has recently awarded Boskalis Westminster the contract to widen and deepen a critical part of the access channel to the container terminal operated by DP World Southampton. This follows the announcement in December 2012 that the Marine Management Organisation had issued the necessary consents to undertake the works. The removal of 450,000 cubic metres of material at Marchwood will widen the navigation channel by 30m, thus improving accessibility and manoeuvrability for container vessels.

Associated British Ports has also secured approval from the Marine Management Organisation to deepen and widen the shipping channel along a 25 mile route. It will allow ships carrying 12,500 containers to enter the port and larger oil tankers to reach Fawley refinery. About 23 million tonnes of material will be removed and dumped in deep water south of the Isle of Wight. The deeper shipping lane will be up to 100 metres wide in places to allow the vessels to pass side by side. It will extend from Southampton to the east of the island.

Navitus Bay Wind Farm

As part of The Crown Estate’s third round of leasing for offshore wind farms, Zone 7 or ‘West of Wight’ was awarded to Eneco in January 2010. Eneco entered into a joint venture with EDF Energy in April 2012. The proposed Navitus Bay Wind Park is located off the Dorset and Hampshire coast and to the west of the Isle of Wight; the development area will cover an area of approximately 67 sq miles (175 square kilometres). Navitus Bay Wind Park will have an approximate maximum installed capacity of 1,100MW. This will generate enough electricity to power up to 790,000 homes and will offset approximately 1,150,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. Subject to planning and gaining consent, construction could start in 2017 with the first wind turbines starting to generate energy by 2020. A fully operational wind park is anticipated in 2020/2021.

Navitus Bay Development Limited (Navitus Bay) is a 50-50 joint venture between Eneco Wind UK Ltd (Eneco) and EDF Energy.

Southampton's Aeronautica Museum

The Aeronautica attraction, based at the docks, would house historic aircraft and ships linked to the city.  It would include a full-size replica of the stern of SS Olympic, the sister ship of Titanic which sailed from Southampton on its fateful voyage.  Docks owner, Associated British Ports, is in discussions with Southampton City Council over the site which could open by 2015.  It is hoped successful applications for arts and heritage grants would cover most of the costs.  The plan would also see visitors taken to and from the site on one of the two restored trams that used to run through the city.  The museum, which is set to replace the Solent Sky attraction, would also include some of the ships which took part in the WWII Dunkirk evacuation.

Gosport Waterfront

Plans are in the pipeline to redevelop the waterfront area in Gosport.  Hampshire County Council has given a £20,000 grant to fund a major public consultation in the next few months, giving residents the chance to say how they want the waterfront to look. The waterfront area includes a long section of the coastline including the Royal Clarence Yard retained area, the Coldharbour area, Falkland Gardens and the Bus Station.

The central part of the Coldharbour site and the bus station site will provide the key focus for future regeneration.  The bus station site consists of 1.65 acres adjacent to the ferry terminus and town centre, with panoramic views across Portsmouth Harbour and the Solent, and expectations are for a landmark development based on high quality design and visual appeal. Redevelopment will be a mix of uses such as retail, business, and leisure activities.

The Coldharbour site consists of approximately three hectares, adjacent to Portsmouth Harbour and Gosport Town Centre. Allocated for mixed use development in the Gosport Borough Local Plan Review, the site has a long history of marine-related activity and employment by virtue of its access to deepwater and proximity to the mouth of the Harbour and the Solent. There is potential to retain and expand marine-related employment on this site, as well as develop additional leisure and retail provision to complement the town centre and surrounding area.  There will also be the possibility of future land releases by the Ministry of Defence in the area currently known as the Royal Clarence Yard retained area which is considered suitable for marine employment.  Gosport Borough Council will shortly be preparing a master-plan for the Waterfront.

Centenary Quay

Under development by Crest Nicholson, the 31 acre site at Centenary Quay will provide 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments, 2, 3 & 4 bedroom homes, offices, restaurants, and a major boat production space in a prime coastal location. It is hoped that the development will transform the Woolston area of Southampton.

Hythe Marine Park, Southampton

The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) has acquired the former RAF Hythe site from the Ministry of Defence, at Shore Road, Hythe. The Agency has converted the site and buildings into one of the Solent’s newest and most unique Marine Business Parks.  The site which was occupied, until September 2006, by the US Army for the servicing and repair of military vehicles and vessels from across Europe, is one of the few remaining available waterside employment sites in the Solent area.

Cowes Outer Harbour Project

The Cowes Outer Harbour Project (OHP) seeks to support the regeneration of East Cowes and also to make Cowes a true harbour, providing additional protection and increasing the usability and long-term potential of the Outer Harbour area.  The Project is the result of years of intensive partnership work between the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and Cowes Harbour Commission.

Full planning consent has been granted by the Isle of Wight Council for the next phase of the Cowes Outer Harbour Project.  It follows the recent news that Sutton Harbour Holdings PLC had been announced by SEEDA as the preferred developer and operator for the new development. The planning consent covers construction of a marina with 300 permanent berths, dedicated visitor/event berthing and associated facilities, including a marina building, public landing facility and temporary car parking facilities. Outline planning permission has also been granted for further development, comprising the permanent marina car park, a 60-bed hotel, 12 town houses and 324 sq m of commercial floor space.

Cowes Waterfront Initiative

Plans to build 180 new homes in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight were approved in November 2010. The Cowes Waterfront Initiative also involves regenerating an 11-hectare site along the seafront. Barratt Homes will start building the 137 houses and 43 flats next year. Of them 30%, 54 homes, will be affordable.  The project also includes a medical centre, a hotel, a supermarket - which has already opened - and a further 300 homes to be built at a later date. A marine employment quarter will also be built on the waterfront after a 300-berth marina was approved.

Daedalus (Gosport)

Plans for the future development of a former Hampshire naval base have received council approval. It is hoped about 4,000 jobs will be created on the 82 hectare (800,000 sq m) Solent Local Enterprise Zone on the old HMS Daedalus site in Lee-on-Solent. The airfield was operational until 1996 is set to be turned into a business park for the advanced aviation, marine and aerospace sectors.

Portsmouth Naval Base

The new aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales should both be based in Portsmouth and at 280 metres in length, will take up three jetties when alongside in the Naval Base.  They are due to enter service from 2015.  The ships are the biggest and most powerful warships ever designed and built in the UK. They will be 70 metres wide and the flight deck area is equivalent to 49 tennis courts or three football pitches – large enough to take up to 40 aircraft.  Preliminary work is already underway in the Naval Base to accommodate the vessels. Assessments to define the exact work required have been completed and an impact study is underway to identify any measures required to safeguard the environment.  Three jetties on the western edge of the Base will have to be upgraded and extra shore services will be needed, including an increase in electrical supply.    

The existing channel used by ships needs to be widened and deepened to accommodate the new carriers. The berths in the base itself need to be excavated and a suitable turning circle provided in the north of the harbour – the draught of the sisters will be 11 metres (36ft). The approach channels to the Base will have to be dredged to a depth of 10.5 metres – current depth is 9.5 metres - to cope with the ships which will have a full displacement of 65,000 tonnes. 

In addition a detailed environmental analysis of the harbour and its approaches was carried out in 2004, while the bridge simulator at HMS Collingwood has been adapted to test the new route to prove the carriers can enter or leave harbour in a range of tidal and weather conditions; so far more than 180 simulated arrivals and departures have been conducted.

Royal Pier

Southampton City Council has begun the process of searching for a developer to transform the city’s Royal Pier area into a world class waterfront. The council’s Cabinet has approved the first steps towards redeveloping one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. This first big step is for the three main landowners, Southampton City Council, Associated British Ports and the Crown Estate to create a landowners agreement, which forms the basis for the parties working together to achieve the redevelopment. Then the landowners will invite developers to put forward their ideas as to how the redevelopment might look. These ideas must include improving Mayflower Park to make the waterfront more accessible to the public and ensure that it is a high quality public place that residents and visitors can enjoy.

Development of 201 and 202 Berths, Port of Southampton

Associated British Ports (ABP) is deepening the dredged pockets of berths 201 and 202 within the Port of Southampton, to enable the port to accommodate the latest generation of large container ships currently being brought into service by the world's major shipping lines that use Southampton. By combining berths 201 and 202 to provide over 500 metres of quay with 16 metres of water depth alongside, the effective capacity of Southampton's container terminal will be increased to accommodate four large vessels. For more information please visit http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/Port_Information/Development_Projects/201_2_Berths/.

Main Channel Dredging (Western Docks)

In November 2012, ABP received permission from the Marine Management Organisation to undertake capital dredging in the Western Docks to widen the existing navigational channel by approximately 30m between the Upper Swinging Ground and Cracknore Navigation Marker, i.e. in the vicinity of berths 104-106 Mayflower Terminal. The works were completed in March 2013.

Portsmouth-Ryde Investment

Wightlink is in the process of a major investment programme to improve the service offered on its Portsmouth - Ryde route. £9 million has been allocated to upgrade both the fleet and the terminals at Ryde and Portsmouth Harbour.

Port of Southampton Master Plan

In early 2010, ABP published its Port of Southampton Master Plan.  This is a government led initiative which sets out how ABP sees the future of the port developing until 2030. It identifies additional infrastructure requirements for both the Eastern and Western Docks.