Portsmouth Water has said it has relocated more than 200 trees from within the Havant Thicket Reservoir site and replanted them locally.

It is part of an initiative with environmental group Havant Thicket for Nature, which aimed to preserve 80 young trees on site which would otherwise be felled. 

“Thanks to the care taken during site clearance work last autumn, Portsmouth Water has exceeded this target and is now relocating more than 200 trees to create new habitats locally,” said the authority.

Ruari Maybank, the project director for Havant Thicket Reservoir, said: “We’re delighted to be moving and replanting more than 200 trees from the site. 

“I would like to thank Havant Thicket for Nature, who put forward the idea nearly two years ago and have been working closely with us ever since.

“Like Portsmouth Water, the group cares passionately about the local environment.”

The reservoir will be around a mile long and half a mile wide, and plans involve commitments to plant and improve more than 200 hectares of woodland and wood pasture and creating a new wetland.