Representation by Kevin Rylands
- Date submitted
- 25 March 2021
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
We are in the midst of a climate and biodiversity crisis, to have to campaign to save one of the UK’s most important wildlife sites against this backdrop shows these dangers are ignored. Add in the pandemic and the increasing evidence linking the availability of green space to the welfare of local communities it is more important than ever these areas are conserved and their protection recognised. The incredible biodiversity and associated history of Swanscombe should not be simply thrown aside to deliver even critical infrastructure, let alone a theme park. The peninsula is a national treasure that cannot be replaced, other such treasures such as Windsor Castle or Stonehenge would never be considered a suitable location for a new theme park. The unique mix of habitats are rarely found in more natural settings, they have been created over time and support hundreds of species of conservation concern. This includes the publically charismatic species such as water vole that are protected by legislation but many more much rarer species that are overlooked by the planning process. Fortunately the presence of these less distinguished species has been recognised by the government’s conservation agency Natural England. Any development here not only destroys Swanscombe, pushing species further to the brink of extinction but will set a precedent that threatens future and ongoing encroachment on the entire network of designated sites.