Environmental Sustainability
At Bargate we believe in building sustainable communities that are designed to last. As such we have put environmental sustainability at the heart of our proposals which will ensure the new community is fit for the future. This will be based around the three themes of biodiversity, carbon emissions and nitrates.
At Bargate we believe in building sustainable communities that are designed to last. As such we have put environmental sustainability at the heart of our proposals which will ensure the new community is fit for the future. This will be based around the three themes of biodiversity, carbon emissions and nitrates.
Biodiversity
We will strive to retain as much as possible of the ecological features and important habitats on site and ensure that any losses are mitigated. We will be making additional enhancements to ensure that we can achieve a net gain for biodiversity on site. In addition we will be providing extensive open spaces, green corridors and green infrastructure, including a sustainable urban drainage system which doubles as a flood prevention measure, to be maintained in-perpetuity by Bargate.
An Ecological Assessment has been undertaken in support of the site during 2016 and 2018 including habitats, bats, dormice, wintering birds, great crested newts and reptiles. Further update surveys have been agreed with the council’s ecologist (Phase 1 Habitat, partial bat survey, reptiles survey and GCN) with guidance provided in relation to biodiversity net gain calculations. These will be considered as the assessment progresses.
We will strive to retain as much as possible of the ecological features and important habitats on site and ensure that any losses are mitigated. We will be making additional enhancements to ensure that we can achieve a net gain for biodiversity on site. In addition we will be providing extensive open spaces, green corridors and green infrastructure, including a sustainable urban drainage system which doubles as a flood prevention measure, to be maintained in-perpetuity by Bargate.
An Ecological Assessment has been undertaken in support of the site during 2016 and 2018 including habitats, bats, dormice, wintering birds, great crested newts and reptiles. Further update surveys have been agreed with the council’s ecologist (Phase 1 Habitat, partial bat survey, reptiles survey and GCN) with guidance provided in relation to biodiversity net gain calculations. These will be considered as the assessment progresses.
Nitrates
Nitrate pollution has become a serious issue around the Solent, with growing evidence of the harm caused by agricultural fertilisers and waste water. Too many nitrates creates vast mats of algae over the Solent’s mudflats, stopping oxygen getting through to the animals in the sediment, causing them to die prematurely. Algae also forms a barrier to many birds which rely on catching their food in the mudflats. Lastly, these mats can smother seagrass beds and saltmarshes, depriving them of oxygen and contributing to erosion.
The EU’s Court of Justice made several rulings on the issue in 2018, saying that: "There should be no reasonable scientific doubt as to the absence of adverse effects of each plan or project on the integrity of the site concerned". As such, extra care has to be taken when developing in the region in order to prootect the Solent and its natural habitats.
Natural England has set out guidance on ensuring new developments are nitrate neutral and will not negatively impact on the Solent’s ecosystem. We have undertaken a careful assessment of nitrate pollution in order to protect and preserve the Solent. Our initial nitrogen budget assessment for the site demonstrates it is nitrate neutral and will have no adverse impact on protected habitats meaning the site is deliverable without requiring mitigation. This means that the proposals can be delivered with minimal impact on the Solent and without requring costly mitigation.
Nitrate pollution has become a serious issue around the Solent, with growing evidence of the harm caused by agricultural fertilisers and waste water. Too many nitrates creates vast mats of algae over the Solent’s mudflats, stopping oxygen getting through to the animals in the sediment, causing them to die prematurely. Algae also forms a barrier to many birds which rely on catching their food in the mudflats. Lastly, these mats can smother seagrass beds and saltmarshes, depriving them of oxygen and contributing to erosion.
The EU’s Court of Justice made several rulings on the issue in 2018, saying that: "There should be no reasonable scientific doubt as to the absence of adverse effects of each plan or project on the integrity of the site concerned". As such, extra care has to be taken when developing in the region in order to prootect the Solent and its natural habitats.
Natural England has set out guidance on ensuring new developments are nitrate neutral and will not negatively impact on the Solent’s ecosystem. We have undertaken a careful assessment of nitrate pollution in order to protect and preserve the Solent. Our initial nitrogen budget assessment for the site demonstrates it is nitrate neutral and will have no adverse impact on protected habitats meaning the site is deliverable without requiring mitigation. This means that the proposals can be delivered with minimal impact on the Solent and without requring costly mitigation.
Energy and Emissions
We at Bargate believe in building homes for the future, energy and water efficient technologies including, electric vehicle charging points. We have designed our development with sustainable and active travel in mind. A network of pathways will allow easy travel by foot or cycle within the development, together with easy access to existing settlements and the area beyond the development. This will reduce carbon emissions as well as improving air quality as fewer journeys are made by car.
We at Bargate believe in building homes for the future, energy and water efficient technologies including, electric vehicle charging points. We have designed our development with sustainable and active travel in mind. A network of pathways will allow easy travel by foot or cycle within the development, together with easy access to existing settlements and the area beyond the development. This will reduce carbon emissions as well as improving air quality as fewer journeys are made by car.