The proposals involve creating a new automotive terminal on reclaimed land between Marchwood and Hythe, including a new jetty, road infrastructure, and a country park.

The Solent and its surrounding designated sites, including the New Forest, are of exceptional ecological importance, home to a vast array of wildlife including breeding and over-wintering birds, nationally important invertebrates, and carbon-storing habitats like saltmarsh and seagrass.

The Trust has significant concerns that the proposed port expansion will result in an unprecedented level of encroachment on to these wildlife sites, including direct damage to Dibden Bay Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which is home to nationally rare and scarce species including important breeding bird populations such as lapwing. 

The Trust believes that the project will infringe on more than 100 hectares of land within the Dibden Bay SSSI – and considers this level of development wholly inappropriate and fundamentally incompatible with the site’s protected status.

Debbie Tann MBE, Chief Executive of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said: “The Solent and the New Forest are already under significant ecological pressure, with many habitats and species in long-term decline. It is critical that further development does not push the Solent’s ecosystems beyond recovery thresholds. We are advocating for strong safeguards and offering advice on the emerging proposals to ensure that the potential impacts on wildlife, habitats, and the proposed country park are fully considered.”

The Trust also warns that the proposed development will have significant impacts on the Solent and Southampton Water Special Protection Area (SPA), an internationally important haven for tens of thousands of wintering birds that depend on the Solent’s delicate coastal habitat, including dark-bellied brent geese. It could also have knock-on effects for nearby protected areas such as the Hythe to Calshot Marshes SSSI and the New Forest National Park.

Earmarking these protected areas for development sets a dangerous precedent, sending a signal that nowhere is safe for nature. 

Because of these important protections, strict adherence to the mitigation hierarchy must be followed for any proposed development in this area. This requires developers to first avoid harm, then reduce unavoidable impacts, and only as a last resort provide replacement habitats.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust will continue to monitor the proposals and advocate for strong safeguards, to ensure that the Solent’s ecological integrity and its internationally important habitats are protected.

The consultation on Solent Gateway 2 closed on 13 October 2025, with a statutory consultation expected in 2026.

• The Trust’s full response to the non-statutory consultation process is available here.