Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Isle of Wight: Island Designation Status and Landscape Protection

06 June 2023 · 0 other contributors · 4,610 words

Opened by Bob Seely Con Isle of Wight

Responding minister: Trudy Harrison

Environment

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Bob Seely raised concerns about isle of wight: island designation status and landscape protection in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • The Isle of Wight lacks a comprehensive legal designation to recognise its unique natural assets and diverse habitats.
  • The island is home to rare species including the Glanville fritillary butterfly, 28 rare plant and insect species, red squirrels, and dormice.
  • The Minister is examining the case for a new island designation similar to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) to cover the entire Isle of Wight, including marine areas.

Key requests to Government

I ask for a new designation in UK landscape protection for the Isle of Wight, similar to an AONB but covering the entire island and including marine areas. This would protect against harmful developments like those at Chine Farm and support farmers through initiatives like Farming in Protected Landscapes funding.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Bob Seely Con Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight, a microcosm of the whole of England with diverse habitats, wildlife, and geology, has been underappreciated in terms of landscape protection. The island lacks a comprehensive legal designation that recognises its unique natural assets. It includes rare animals like red squirrels and dormice, 28 species of rare plants and insects, and is home to the sole British location for the Glanville fritillary butterfly. Despite having UNESCO biosphere status, it faces development pressures affecting protected sites such as Chine Farm. The island has lost some species over the past five decades due to urban development.

Government Response

Trudy Harrison

It is a pleasure to serve under the chairmanship of Mrs Latham, and to hear from my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight who speaks with passion and knowledge about his constituency. The Minister confirms that they are closely examining the case for an island designation for the Isle of Wight due to its unique features such as 41 sites of special scientific interest (SSSI), a national nature reserve at Newtown Harbour, eight local nature reserves covering over 1 sq km, and approximately half of the coastline defined as a heritage coast. The waters around the Isle of Wight are designated under a network of marine protected areas covering 331 sq km with three Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and three Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ). The Minister highlights the importance of protected landscapes in contributing to the commitment to protect at least 30% of land by 2030, and notes that a new Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) will be rolled out soon across all upper-tier local authorities. They commit to working closely with Isle of Wight residents on this matter and have scheduled a meeting for June 13th to discuss further. The Minister also mentions the importance of sustainable development and ensuring that homes built are in keeping with the Island's character, while valuing small developers who can contribute positively to the community.

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