Representation by Maria Yetman
- Date submitted
- 15 March 2021
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am making a written representation against the application for development consent as I believe that the diverse precious wildlife the Swanscombe Peninsula sustains, and the associated mental and physical wellbeing this area gives to myself and those able to visit, must be given greater value than a theme park. I believe that the Swanscombe Peninsula is the wrong place for a theme park. I discovered the Swanscombe Peninsula for myself last summer 2020. Having been shielding for the previous 5 months, I started to explore my local area more and visited the Swanscombe Peninsula following recommendations from many others passionate about this beautiful area. I have been amazed by the variety of wildlife I have seen there, including the scarce bryony ladybird, shield bugs, numerous species of bees, lizards, damselflies and dragonflies, grasshoppers and many species of birds. Visiting this local area and being able to enjoy my passions of walking, nature observation and nature photography, helped me recover both physically and mentally from what had been a very tough period, and the Peninsula has become a place I treasure as a personal place of calm, enrichment, enjoyment and discovery. Living in Gravesend town, I am able walk to shops and work but have few green open spaces, so to lose this local area would be of huge cost to myself and many others locally. With global environmental concerns linked to climate change and numerous studies linking mental wellbeing with nature and ‘green’ spaces, the ability to be able to enjoy nature and to be able to enjoy it locally and thus reduce carbon footprint is of increasingly recognized importance. Since my first visit to the Swanscombe Peninsula, I have learnt a lot more about its National Significance. I have learnt that it supports over 250 invertebrate species of conservation concern, including the Critically Endangered Distinguished jumping spider, which is found on only one other site in the UK. 15 red-listed Birds of Conservation Concern and 12 Species of Principal Importance breed there, including Marsh harriers and Bearded Reedlings and nationally scarce vascular plant species have been found there including Man orchid. Further, the area sustains mammals including Water vole and Otter. It is the uniqueness of the habitat – an open mosaic of wetlands, grasslands, scrub and coastal habitats -that sustains such diversity of wildlife and flora. It is this uniqueness that means it is not replaceable by any attempts at creating alternative habitats and relocation of species. This area is of such national significance, that Natural England have recently notified it as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. I am passionate about environmental and conservation issues, being on the Committee of the Gravesend RSPB Local Group, and concerned about the national decline in many species and increasing loss of established habitats. Development on this land would be against my personal values and principles. This wonderfully diverse environment and the flora and fauna it supports is precious and I believe we have a responsibility to protect it.