Portsmouth's Tipner development plans move step forward

The council wants to build at least 1,250 homes at Tipner West

A council has ruled a major development that could involve land being reclaimed from the sea should still go ahead despite environmental concerns.

Portsmouth City Council has approved a "set of principles" for developing the Tipner West site that would allow at least 1,250 new homes to be built.

These include providing at least "a 10% net gain in biodiversity".

But wildlife groups said any land reclamation crossed a "red line" and would set a "dangerous" precedent.

The original proposals were for a "super peninsula" of up to 4,000 homes as part of a £1bn futuristic development.

However, this was later scaled back in response to public opposition.

The latest vote at a full council meeting on Tuesday ruled out pursuing any of the previous proposals.

Reclaiming land from the sea to build the project at Tipner West has not been ruled out

The authority's latest report into the development, which has now been approved, also ruled out the option of not developing the site and included a commitment to provide at least 58,000sqm of employment space.

The council has already spent almost £20m on plans and assessments for the area, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Liberal Democrat council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson said he was "heartened" that only four councillors voted against the recommendations.

"'We now have to bring back detailed plans that minimises land reclamation and produce a better place for people to live," he said.

'No more compromise'

Both the Labour and Conservative groups abstained from the vote.

Conservative Scott Payter-Harris, one of the 19 councillors who refused to vote, said they were being asked to "pick their poison" over the future of the project.

Debbie Tann, chief executive of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said her organisation would continue to work with the RSPB to make the plans a "national issue" .

"There is no more compromise to be found on our side," she said.