A major environmental battle gets under way on Tuesday with the start of a public inquiry into plans for a big new container port near Southampton.

The proposed development on a 202-hectare site at Dibden Bay is being seen as an important test of how much protection our wildlife has when pitted against the plans of big business.

Associated British Ports (ABP) want to build the new terminal in the last stretch of Southampton Water to remain undeveloped.

The tidal foreshore is not much to look at, but provides valuable feeding grounds for a range of wading birds.

Opponents of the scheme, who include the government's wildlife advisers English Nature, say that it will threaten lapwings, Brent Geese, oystercatchers and curlew which have fewer and fewer places to feed as the coastline is developed.

The site includes no fewer than eight sites of scientific interest, and is also among sites designated as being of international importance to wetland birds under the Ramsar Convention.

Expanding international trade

On the other side, ABP say it will create much-needed local employment.

They also believe it will help Britain to cope with a big projected increase in the amount of container traffic expected to enter and leave the country as international trade expands in the next few years.

They say they are building new habitats to compensate for the areas of foreshore which will be lost, but the environmental groups say this will in no way make up for the damage caused by the development.