RESIDENTS are being asked to give their views on plans to protect and recover the biodiversity of a Hampshire borough.

Eastleigh Borough Council is asking local people to comment on its ten-year plan which is aimed at protecting, maintaining and increasing the borough's habitats.

The strategy, "Securing our Natural Environment" highlights the issues facing biodiversity in the area and provides a framework for the delivery of a new Biodiversity Action Plan and Local Nature Recovery Strategy and new Supplementary Planning Document.

Council bosses say they will also be seeking to extend and enhance habitats and create new ones where possible which is expected to benefit residents by contributing to improved health and wellbeing.

As part of this strategy, the Council is planning to create a minimum of 50 hectares of new habitat and restore a minimum 50 hectares of existing habitat as well as planting 160,000 trees across the borough by 2030.

The plan also seeks to protect and improve existing nature conservation sites and increase the number of Sites of Importance by 10%.

The council's Environment boss, Cllr Rupert Kyrle said: “This important strategy will help us to protect, maintain, and increase the borough’s biodiversity over the next ten years.

"We recognise that the boroughs biodiversity is a critical component of a high quality environment.

"The protection of our valuable natural assets is important, not just for their intrinsic worth, but because of their value to wildlife and local people in delivering a huge range of health and wellbeing, economic and social benefits."

The plan is due to be released for residents to give their views in early 2022.