Our natural environment

Our natural environment is another key theme in the Our Green City plan. Protecting and enhancing our natural environment is essential for a cleaner, greener future for everybody in Southampton.

Access to good quality green space is vital for health and wellbeing, providing a space to exercise and unwind, along with giving nature a place to thrive. We know that areas of the city have limited green space, that’s why we aim to add at least 25 urban wildflower meadows by 2025.

We benefit from statutory nature conservation sites, these areas have been designated as sites of international and national importance for nature conservation. We have statutory duties to protect these sites along with enhancing the conservation value.

We are have many local nature conservation sites that have an essential role to play in our quality of life. These sites, along with several other areas in and around the city are home to many protected species including bats, badgers and slow worms.

Find out more about our parks, biodiversity in Southampton or discover local volunteering opportunities.