Since 2022, the Harbour Farm Nature Group has campaigned to gain greater access to nature for local people. In 2025 we met with the Environment Agency, RSPB and Natural England to discuss the group’s ideas for the derelict Harbour Farm site and surrounding area off the Embankment Road in Bembridge. The group, now registered as a Community Interest Company, have long thought the site offered great potential for a number of cultural activities, ranging from bird hides to a nature walk and nature hub. These activities seemed to fit well with the Local Nature Recovery Strategy guidance that includes the importance of cultural activities and that it should “reflect local circumstances, including the most important issues to local people”. A petition signed by some 1500 local people confirmed this. The central farm area is outside of the surrounding SSSI but it is of course still in an extremely sensitive setting. Fortunately, the nature group have the experience and expertise to mitigate disturbance whilst working under the slogan Nature’s Future First. An objective of course shared by all. First steps were achieved with an early win with the reopening of the Bembridge end of the old railway footpath. This included a new exit to the road with wooden steps installed and gateway to the road to stop dogs or people from going directly onto the road. We talked to the RSPB about creating some Key Viewing Points along the path. This would enable greater opportunities to view birds on the reserve without disturbing them. Several of these were then created along the path with a cutting down the height of brambles. We reopened a section of footpath up to a new viewing point. The parish council gave us a £300 grant towards the purchase of an electric brush cutter to maintain all of these areas. Further donations towards our aims of a bird hide were received from the Lane End Co-op Welcome store, of £1141, from sales of a Christmas calendar, £1000 from an old local nature group and a further £90 from locals. We were unhappy with environment agency plans to demolish the old farm buildings during bird nesting and sent in objections. We applied for a tree preservation order for the old orchard in the hope of creating a community orchard and preserving some of the rare bembridge apple trees there. The group has a lot of local support including our MP Joe Robertson, who said, “I agree with the Nature Group’s aims of opening parts of the Harbour site up to the public, which will improve educational opportunities, as well as promote sensitive interaction with the wetland habitat. This aligns with the EA’s original aim when it took control of the site. I am pleased to be backing the local campaign and welcome engagement from the EA, RSPB and Natural England.” Harbour Farm Nature Group are now refining our longer term vision for the future of Harbour Farm and surrounds, seeking jointly agreed ways forward. But in short, we fully recognise the importance of the area and believe that we can jointly manage greater access to this land in a way that satisfies the needs of both nature and people. By allowing access and showing current and future generations just how important these precious areas are, we will be able to aid the protection of the natural environment in this area for the future.

Stakeholders are local people with an interest in nature. The directors are local people with direct interest in nature and bird watching. We maintain contact with stakeholders in a number of ways. A report is published on our Facebook page usually monthly, inviting comment from followers there. We respond and act upon comments as appropriate. The parish council holds a yearly voluntary group public showcase which we attend talking to people about our work and their suggestions. There is also a monthly local magazine in which we include a monthly update. More significant events are sent to the local press.

No remuneration was received

No transfer of assets other than for full consideration