Representation by Stephen Plant
- Date submitted
- 13 March 2021
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
If future generations are to survive and thrive they will need a healthy environment, the more diverse nature the better the future environment. Swanscombe Peninsula being an open mosaic of coastal habitats supports a special biodiversity largely due to it's unique climate, more continental than the rest of the UK, special enough to prompt Natural England to recommend the site become a site of special scientific interest. Such sites are vital to protect important species and by extension future human generations. Of all the species found on the site more tan 250 invertebrate species alone are of conservation concern, one species in particular is critically endangered and only found at Swanscombe and one other site in the UK, Swanscombe is nationally important. The birds using the site include 15 red listed species, 12 of those species are of Principal Importance. There are also 13 nationally scarce vascular plants. The biodiversity of the site is very special and very important. It is pointless combatting climate change if we do not preserve biodiversity, without a rich biodiversity mankind cannot, will not survive. There are numerous theme parks around the UK already and competition for customers is fierce, with so many job losses as a result of the pandemic and the economic impact how many will have the spare cash to visit theme parks? Visiting natural spaces has been shown to have proven benefits for physical and mental health both from the visual stimulus of green spaces and the beneficial chemicals given off by nature. By contrast a theme park would be a very artificial environment with considerable traffic and associated pollution, also noise pollution and likely litter in the surrounding environment. Once developed the site will be gone forever and we will not be able to replicate it or indeed mitigate or compensate for it's loss elsewhere due to its unique climate and location. Developing the site may bring a short term economic gain, the loss of biodiversity and all of it's benefits now and in the long term would be a permanent loss and detrimental to every generation to come. Current younger generations are far more environmentally aware, indeed understandably very concerned for the future, the coming years are likely to see the next generations of young adults wanting to explore study and protect nature not visit theme parks. A theme park could be located almost anywhere, the unique nature of Swanscombe cannot go elsewhere, it survives or is lost forever. For the sake of our children, grandchildren and beyond, give them hope and a chance, put nature first and foremost. Thank you.