PROJECT PORTFOLIO
The Planet
East Head Impact grants approved to date total £1,000,000
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GRANTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT - 2023
Chichester Harbour
Conservancy
Chichester Harbour Conservancy is a Statutory Harbour Authority which was created by the 1971 Chichester Harbour Conservancy Act for the purpose of protecting the interests of navigation and the conservation of nature in Chichester Harbour.
Under the Act, the Conservancy has various duties and powers covering the use of the harbour by pleasure craft and navigation and the conservation of nature, and gives the Conservancy jurisdiction over the land and water within the harbour. The Conservancy is unique from the perspective that it is the only Statutory Harbour Authority in the UK with responsibility for a National Landscape (previously referred to as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, "AONB").
Chichester Harbour was designated an AONB in 1964 with the primary purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of its landscape and protecting its valuable wildlife, habitats, geology, heritage and scenic views.
Photo Credits
Kate L'Amie. Paul Adams. Peter Hughes. Shirley Rushmer.
GRANTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT - 2023
Overview of Conservation of Nature activities
Chichester Harbour’s other designations include a Special Area of Conservation given threats to its internationally important habitats and species, a Special Protection Area under the European Union’s biodiversity Birds Directive, and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) given its fauna, flora and geological features. The Harbour has an abundance of wildlife and plants which include birds, seals, fish, oysters, water voles, hedgehogs, orchids, sea kale and sea lavender.
Chichester Harbour has the seventh largest expanse of saltmarsh in the UK. Saltmarsh provides multiple ecosystem services benefits including carbon sequestration, nutrient removal, improved water quality, nursery habitats for fish, habitats for nesting and roosting birds and other biodiversity benefits. A Condition Review of Chichester Harbour by Natural England in 2021 downgraded the Harbour’s SSSI status from ‘Unfavourable Recovering’ to ‘Unfavourable Declining’, in large part due to the continued loss of saltmarsh. Natural England concluded that the harbour had lost 58% of its saltmarsh between 1946 and 2016, and recommended that at least 552 hectares of saltmarsh be restored for SSSI designation purposes (and ideally up to 717 hectares in order to bring the saltmarsh up to 1946 levels) and potential sources of funding be identified.
The Conservancy conducts its nature recovery activities in partnership with its Chichester Harbour Protection and Recovery of Nature (CHaPRoN) partnership. CHaPRoN’s key aims are to restore ecosystems to favourable condition, increase biodiversity, achieve greater resilience to climate change, sequester blue carbon and contribute to net zero, improve water quality, maximise nature friendly farming opportunities and connect people with nature. CHaPRoN’s vision for Chichester Harbour in 2050 is to have created a harbour that functions naturally as a healthy and thriving ecosystem and to have restored Chichester Harbour SSSI to favourable condition - maximising ecosystem services benefits and supporting nature recovery for generations to come.
In seeking to achieve its aims, Chichester Harbour Conservancy works with organisations such as the Environment Agency, Natural England, the RSPB, Coastal Partners and the Sussex Inshore Fisheries & Conservation Authority.
Ⓒ Kate L'Amie
GRANTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT -2023
East Head Impact Grant
East Head Impact's direct grant to CHaPRoN is to co-fund its £0.6 million budgeted cost participation in the Solent Seascape Project.
Separately, East Head Impact awarded a grant of £0.9 million to the Blue Marine Foundation for the purpose of co-funding the £4.8 million budget cost of the Solent Seascape Project, bringing East Head Impact's total investment in the Project to £1 million
GRANT REVIEW
Key Deliverables & Impact
CHaPRoN’s Solent Seascape Project deliverables and responsibilities within Chichester Harbour include:
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Leading the development and delivery of saltmarsh restoration measures; undertaking survey work to identify potential seagrass meadow restoration sites.
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Bird monitoring.
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Supporting oyster restoration and seagrass meadow restoration initiatives; and public education and engagement.
In 2023 CHaPRoN:
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Undertook a trial to restore an area of saltmarsh in West Itchenor using the ‘Beneficial use of Dredged Sediment (BuDs) restoration method.'
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Appointed a Nature Recovery Officer to support habitat restoration projects and a Communications & Engagement Officer to handle publicity and engagement with stakeholders.
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Commissioned a report to identify the condition of saltmarsh and opportunities for saltmarsh restoration in Chichester Harbour.
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Commissioned two feasibility studies to explore in detail options for saltmarsh restoration at two sites in the Harbour. Surveys to identify suitable sites for the protection and active restoration of seagrass meadows will be undertaken during the course of 2024.
In February 2023, the BuDs restoration saltmarsh trial at West Itchenor involved the placing of 1,300 cubic metres of sediment dredged from a marina in Chichester Harbour onto a 0.34-hectare area of deteriorated saltmarsh using a combination of barges, pontoons, a winch system, an innovative ‘drag box’ and a GPS guidance system.
The saltmarsh is now being monitored to measure the stability of the recharge sediment and its ecological development, including the extent of colonisation of saltmarsh plant species. The trial demonstrated that the BuDs restoration method and systems used were technically viable, and its results will be used to inform future saltmarsh restoration projects.