ONE OF Dibden Bay port's major supporters has admitted that the planned container terminal on Southampton Water could damage its bird life.

Southampton City Council has established itself as the one firm ally of docks owner Associated British Ports' plans for the port between Marchwood and Hythe.

But as the public inquiry into the scheme completed its fifth month and its 50th day of evidence, it became clear that the city wants more nature safeguards than ABP is putting up.

Council ecologist Ian Baker said: "It the City Council has concluded that for the majority of nature conservation interests, such as those of the Solent Maritime Candidate Special Area of Conservation, effects on the sites are unlikely to be significant.

"However, with respect to the Solent and Southampton Water Special Protection area, the reduction in habitat area may cause a number of short- and long-term effects that could impact on the waterfowl population."

Mr Baker added that measures had been included in the scheme that would "assist in offsetting adverse impact and maintaining the network of designated sites within the Solent European Marine site in the long term".

But under cross examination from English Nature barrister Graham Machin, he admitted that city council officers had held talks with ABP regarding measures they would like to see included in the plan.

When asked if approaches to ABP had been successful, he said: "We approached ABP and their consultants and sought clarification on certain issues."

The talks, he added, gave the city council a better understanding of the proposals. "The issues included changes to nature conservation, changes to the recharge pumping dredged materials on to marshes near Hythe and they gave us a little bit more evidence on what was being proposed. That satisfied us and enabled us to take a balanced view of their proposals," he said.

"Are you saying," Mr Machin asked, "that your discussions resulted in them persuading you to their view?"

Mr Baker replied: "It enabled them to provide information that we could take a view on and it gave us more confidence in their schemes."

Regarding future habitats for birds that inhabit the area, Mr Machin asked whether the Church Farm area of Dibden Bay could continue to accommodate its populations of widgeon and teal.

Mr Baker replied: "With teal, there might be enough, but with widgeon there might not."

Asked if the council had gone to ABP and demanded more feeding grounds for widgeon, Mr Baker said: "I don't think we put it in those terms, bearing in mind we didn't have the more recent Hampshire data."