Last updated: October 2021
Forest of Bere has been identified as one of the key project areas of the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) Green Infrastructure Strategy. The goal is to allow urban populations of south Hampshire to have better access to quality green space. (1) Part of the forest, called Portsdown Hill, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is on the boundary of urban Portsmouth and supports extensive areas of calcareous grassland where a wide diversity of typical chalk grassland plants and insects can be found. The last twenty years have seen extensive areas of scrub being removed and restored to open grassland. The project aims to restore the once flourishing natural habitat of the forest while providing more recreational opportunities to the growing number of residents in the surrounding areas, was well as improving the ecological connectivity of separate woodlands (1,2,4,5).
Flowery grassland of Portsdown
Photographer: Richard Jones (2018), retrieved 08/10/2018
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
Focus
Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Protection of natural ecosystems
Project objectives
Wildlife Trust's vision is that this public forest estate is to be:
1. Restored to its traditional mix of habitats (1)
2. Restore species like great crested newt, nightingale and small-leaved lime are able to thrive (1)
3. Allow urban populations of south Hampshire to have better access to quality green space (1)
Implementation activities
- Enabling better access to quality green spaces. (1)
- Lobby for habitat restoration as part of the provision of green open spaces.
- Create high-quality open spaces.
- Continue habitat creation and restoration at nature reserves.
- Look at possible land acquisition close to existing reserves.
- Support sustainable wood fuel and livestock production. (1)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
- Restore valued species
- Restore ecological connectivity
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Private foundation/trust
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
the key planning document/ report for this project has been developed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. which has been also been build in and referred to by the South Hampshire Green Infrastructure Strategy (2017-2034) created by the Partnership for South Hampshire community (2)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) Green Infrastructure Strategy. This area is identified as a ‘sub‐regional initiative'. (2) This Green Infrastructure Strategy does, however, include an important proposal for the Forest of Bere, with proposals to meet a number of the GI Objectives including the support for sustainable food, fiber and fuel production, opportunities for open air recreation, the support of biodiversity and the enhanced woodland linkages (2))
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Unknown
Type of funding
- Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Increase in protected green space areas
- Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. (n.d.) Forest of Bere. Website not available
2. Jonathan Cox Associates. (2010). A Vision for the Forest of Bere - A Report to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. Website not available
3. Friends of Portsdown Hill (n.d) Accessed on November 12, 2020, Source link
4. Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH). (2018). South Hampshire Green Infrastructure Strategy (2017-2034). Accessed on November 12, 2020, Source link
5. Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH). (2019). South Hampshire Green Infrastructure Implementation Plan (June 2019).
6. East Hampshire District Council. (2019). East Hampshire Green Infrastructure Strategy. Accessed on November 12, 2020, Source link
2. Jonathan Cox Associates. (2010). A Vision for the Forest of Bere - A Report to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. Website not available
3. Friends of Portsdown Hill (n.d) Accessed on November 12, 2020, Source link
4. Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH). (2018). South Hampshire Green Infrastructure Strategy (2017-2034). Accessed on November 12, 2020, Source link
5. Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH). (2019). South Hampshire Green Infrastructure Implementation Plan (June 2019).
6. East Hampshire District Council. (2019). East Hampshire Green Infrastructure Strategy. Accessed on November 12, 2020, Source link
Flowery grassland of Portsdown
Photographer: Richard Jones (2018), retrieved 08/10/2018
Portsdown Hill with an overview of the Forest of Bere
Photographer: Richard Jones (2016), retrieved 08/10/2018