Representation by Swanscombe and Greenhitrhe Residents’ Association (Swanscombe and Greenhitrhe Residents’ Association)
- Date submitted
- 24 March 2021
- Submitted by
- Non-statutory organisations
The Swanscombe and Greenhithe Residents’ Association would like to raise the following concerns: Does the extent of the proposed development protect the ecology of the site? The site is frequently referred to as ‘brownfield site’ which detracts from the diversity of flora, fauna and invertebrates that are located there. Swanscombe Peninsula is a unique open mosaic of coastal habitats, grassland, scrub and wetlands that have developed as a result of the sites complex human history. The ecological importance of the site is confirmed by Natural England who have identified it as a SSSI. Is the scale, form and massing of the proposed structures close to existing residential areas, appropriate? It would appear that the size of the development and the height of some of the buildings, up to 40 stories has grown exponentially since the first proposals were suggested. Day and night time visualisation should be revisited to understand the impacts on Swanscombe and areas closer to the site, for example Ingress Park housing estate. The amount of noise and other disturbance during construction phase is also a concern for local people. The nature of the ground and the proposed height of a number of buildings will need extensive pile driving, an activity that causes extreme distress to residents. How will this be mitigated. Has the impact on designated and none designated heritage assets been properly considered. Swanscombe Peninsula is an important area associated with the early development of the Cement and Paper Industries, landing points for pilgrims on their way to Canterbury etc. The assessment of the site in PIER 4 have not been updated since 2012 and is not based on up to date accurate information. The 2012 assessment makes no mention of existing businesses which support a number of jobs for local people including apprenticeships. There is no plan to relocate these business locally. In fact there are no local sites that can offer alternative accommodation to these businesses. Although the proposals indicate the possibilities of a large number of jobs, there are no details of the skills required nor the training to be given. The site is an important place for local informal recreation in an area that has seen many such open spaces disappear under the bricks, mortar and concrete of nearby Ebbsfleet Garden City and other developments, how does the developer aim to mitigate this loss? The proposals include a number of facilities to be located outside the pay gates. These include conference and entertainment venues. How do the developers see these becoming successful when, recent attempts by the established Bluewater complex to facilitate these types of services, have been abandoned through lack of public interest.