Representation by Margaret Palmer
- Date submitted
- 19 March 2021
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
In March 2021 Natural England enlarged the 7 hectare Bakers Hole SSSI, south of the River Thames, and designated a much larger area as Swanscombe Peninsula SSSI. This new 264 hectare SSSI comprises estuarine habitat and open mosaic habitat on previously developed land. The site includes chalk pits, free-draining grassland, scrub, wetlands, grazing marsh and saltmarsh - a wide range of habitats that has developed as a result of the site's complex human history. Swanscombe Peninsula SSSI is of special interest for its nationally important assemblages of invertebrates and breeding birds (including Marsh harrier, Bearded tit, Nightingale and Black redstart), populations of five species of red listed plants (including Man orchid) and geological features. It supports the Critically Endangered Distinguished jumping spider Attulus distinguendus, which is known from only one other site in the UK. It also has locally important populations of reptiles, bats, Water vole and Otter. These features are described in detail in the report by Buglife, Kent Wildlife Trust and RSPB: Rationale for the SSSI designation of the Swanscombe Peninsula (https://cdn.buglife.org.uk/2021/02/Swanscombe-SSSI-rationale-Feb-2021.pdf). This was presented to Natural England in February 2021. Although the SSSI designation is still subject to consultation until the end of July 2021, there is a statutory duty for the site to be considered in planning applications. The London Resort, a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP), based on the Swanscombe Peninsula and due to cover approximately 465 hectares, is currently under consideration. This ‘next generation’ theme park is the first ‘Business or Commercial Project’ to be accepted as an NSIP by the UK Government. Any information submitted on the wildlife or geological value of the area up to 11th March 2021 would have been based on a site largely free of SSSI designation. The recent notification of the 264 ha Swanscombe Peninsula SSSI changes this, therefore it is essential that the application for The London Resort is re-submitted. RSPB’s 2019 State of Nature report, using data from 50 conservation organisations, indicates that 15% of the 8,431 species assessed are at risk of extinction in Great Britain. The report Rationale for the SSSI designation of the Swanscombe Peninsula points out that between 2007 and 2013, 51% of undeveloped Thames Estuary sites similar to the Swanscombe Peninsula were lost, damaged or under threat from development. This, together with future potential losses, represents a huge loss of biodiversity and increases the risk of extinctions. It is more important than ever that we protect our irreplaceable and nationally important SSSI network. There is only one Swanscombe Peninsula SSSI and it is the wrong place for a theme park.