Representation by Alice Harman
- Date submitted
- 24 March 2021
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
It's a sad truth that while most people don't set out to hurt animals, to destroy natural beauty and to leave kids with a world full of concrete, pollution and rubbish rather than trees, bees and birdsong, that's exactly what ends up happening when those with the power to do so don't stop developments like this one. Nature can't speak for itself, and the kids whose future world our decisions are creating aren't in the room when those decisions are made. We've seen over and over how big, shiny projects are allowed to go ahead, with convincing promises of jobs and wonderful things for local people, and after everyone's had some fun and one or two people have made a huge amount of money, what is so often left is just a permanently ruined natural environment and an eyesore that brings down the area's value and morale. Theme parks are fun! I like theme parks! But we're grown-ups and we have to be responsible about what is best for the country and the future. Swanscombe is simply the wrong place for this development, just like the Amazon rainforest is the wrong place for a new cattle farm. Swanscombe's unique mix of coastal habitats, grasslands, scrub and wetlands makes it so important for wildlife that Natural England have recommended it be declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest. That's something for the area to really be proud of, and local people deserve to be able to enjoy it – to have the chance, so rare nowadays although people growing up just a few decades ago took it for granted, to hear nightingales, to spot all sorts of beautiful wild flowers, to watch otters play. If we don't protect that, it's gone and it will never come back. Those animals and flowers will die, that's the sad and unavoidable truth beneath the London Resort's shiny branding and expertly written press releases that know to mention 'sustainability' but don't address this reality. This is a chance to keep a beautiful and precious place alive, to stand up for nature and people's right to enjoy it long into the future, rather than agree to it being destroyed forever on your watch. I really hope you'll make the right decision.