1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Portsmouth
Region
Europe
Short description of the intervention
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).
Address

Portsdown Hill
United Kingdom

Location
The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by).
Source of NBS area image
Due to the great extent of the area and lack of information on the exact project boundaries, the area boundary coordinates could not be indicated here (ed.)
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Natural Heritage Area/Untouched nature
Website of the intervention
http://www.hiwwt.org.uk/forest-bere
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
unknown
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Ongoing
Goals of the intervention
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)
Quantitative targets
Unknown
Monitoring indicators defined
Unknown
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
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
What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Ecosystem-focused
What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?
Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
Restore valued species
Restore ecological connectivity
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)
Type of NBS project
Ecological restoration of ecosystems
Protection of natural ecosystems
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Parks and urban forests
Large urban parks or forests
Vegetation Type
Trees
Please specify how many trees were planted
Unknown
Amenities offered by the NBS
Educational or biodiversity trails
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Provisioning services
Raw materials
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Maintenance of genetic diversity
Cultural services
Recreation
Scale
Spatial scale
Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Citizens or community groups
Governance
Governance arrangements
Led by non-government actors
Non-government actors
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Citizens or community groups
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
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)
Key actors - initiating organization
Private foundation/trust
Land owners
Other
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Regional government
Non-government organisation/civil society
Private foundation/trust
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Other
Please specify other land owner
The Forest of Bere has multiple owners including:
- Hampshire County Council
- Forestry Commission
- National Trust
- Hampshire and IW Wildlife Trust
- Fareham Borough and Portsmouth City Council
- In addition to these data sets, information on biodiversity sites owned by Parish Councils and local authorities have been obtained from the Hampshire Biological Records Centre (HBIC). (4)
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Unknown
Please specify other landowner
The Forest of Bere has multiple owners including:
- Hampshire County Council
- Forestry Commission
- National Trust
- Hampshire and IW Wildlife Trust
- Fareham Borough and Portsmouth City Council
- In addition to these data sets, information on biodiversity sites owned by Parish Councils and local authorities have been obtained from the Hampshire Biological Records Centre (HBIC). (4)
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan
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)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Unknown
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Mandatory (based on policy)
Intervention is mandatory
Spatial planning guidance
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Portsmouth Green infrastructure Strategy ( a part of PUSH) (2)
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
City specific green space strategy or plan
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
Unknown
Type of fund(s) used
Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Green densification model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)
Type of innovation
Social
Policy innovation
Please specify social innovation
Policy innovation - beneficial land management practices of nature reserves to allow urban populations of south Hampshire to have better access to quality green space. (ref 1)
Novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
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
Description of environmental benefits
The initiative is still in the planning phase, therefore only expected impacts can be listed here:
- Restoration of the public forest estate to its traditional mix of habitats, for species like great crested newt, nightingale and small-leaved lime (1)
-As per the GI Strategy the Forest of Bere is identified as a ‘sub‐regional initiative’ with proposals to meet a number of the GI Objectives including support for sustainable food, fibre and fuel production, opportunities for open-air recreation and biodiversity (2)
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved access to urban green space
Health and wellbeing
Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Description of social and cultural benefits
The initiative is still in the planning phase, therefore only expected impacts can be listed here:
- Enabling urban populations of south Hampshire to have better access to quality green space by providing countryside access, thus enhancing the health and well-being of local residents (1, 5)
- With the new multi-user circular route linking separate parts of the forest, the connectivity between communities and green areas would improve providing an alternative transport option. (5)
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Indicators
Unknown
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of November 2020
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
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
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Friends of Portsdown Hill
List of 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, http://www.portsdown.org.uk/index.html
4. Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH). (2018). South Hampshire Green Infrastructure Strategy (2017-2034). Accessed on November 12, 2020, https://www.push.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/South-Hampshire-GI-Strategy-2017-2034-FINAL.pdf
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, https://www.easthants.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/East%20Hampshire%20GI%20Strategy%20May%202019_0.pdf
Comments and notes
Public Images
Flowery grassland of Portsdown
Flowery grassland of Portsdown
Photographer: Richard Jones (2018), retrieved 08/10/2018
Flowery grassland of Portsdown
Flowery grassland of Portsdown
Photographer: Richard Jones (2018), retrieved 08/10/2018
Portsdown Hill with an overview of the Forest of Bere
Portsdown Hill with an overview of the Forest of Bere
Photographer: Richard Jones (2016), retrieved 08/10/2018