Dibden Bay

167. Dibden Bay is an area of former intertidal saltmarsh reclaimed over many decades by the deposit of dredged material from earlier development of the Port of Southampton. The site has, for many years, been identified as a possible site for port activities. Planning policies have, in one way or another, safeguarded the site from development pending a decision on the need to develop the site and it is identified in the current local plan as a Strategic Gap. However, the emergence of commercial arguments for port development on the site has coincided with the designation of the foreshore as a Special Protection Area and the growing awareness of the potential impact of all forms of development on the New Forest.

EC6 Port development requiring access to deep water may be permitted at Dibden Bay provided that it can be demonstrated that the need for the development outweighs its impact on:

(i) areas of importance to nature conservation;

(ii) the conservation, landscape or ecology of the New Forest; or

(iii) local communities; and

(a) sufficient provision is made to offset the impact, including replacement or substitution of habitats or features lost and conservation of ecological networks; and

(b) that the required access can be achieved without serious disturbance to the countryside, coastal areas or communities affected and that maximum use is made of rail and sea routes; and that appropriate contributions are secured to fund infrastructure and services required as a result of the development.

168. It may be that Dibden Bay provides an opportunity to develop deepwater container berths to serve the economy. Policy EC6 establishes the criteria which will be used to determine any such proposal which comes forward.