An affordable housebuilder has paused the construction of one of its developments to protect the local bird population.
Vivid Homes said it stopped works at Victoria Quay in Portsmouth to avoid disrupting migrating birds that make the Solent coast their home during the winter, including Brent Geese, Redshanks, Oystercatchers and Lapwings.
Brent Geese are protected under European legislation and considered vulnerable due to their relatively small world population. They usually spend winter on coastal mud flats and arrive in the UK from mid-September onwards.
Construction has been phased and timed to reduce noise, vibration and human disturbance. Vivid added that site traffic is being routed through a site entrance off the M275 to reduce congestion and traffic on nearby residential roads.
The housebuilder is creating 835 homes on the former brownfield site known as Tipner East. Plans for the Victoria Quay development include decontamination of the land and the construction of a conservation area to protect the coastal birds and enhance opportunities for loafing and foraging.
Tristan Samuels, group development and new business director at Vivid, said: “This is what good development looks like now, protecting and enhancing local wildlife and minimising impact on the existing biodiversity is at the heart of our Victory Quay development.
“Our plans ensure that construction is considerate of all local residents – human and animal. Once completed, Victory Quay will be a welcoming home for the people of Portsmouth and the diverse wildlife of the Solent coast.”
