Representation by Donna Zimmer
- Date submitted
- 27 March 2021
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I vehemently oppose London Resort’s plans to build a Theme Park across Swanscombe Peninsula SSSI for the following reasons: 1) Wildlife, Biodiversity & Green Space - As a local wildlife enthusiast I cannot emphasis enough how important this site is not only to the wildlife it attracts due to its exceptional unique habitat but also to the people who use this green space regularly. Swanscombe Peninsula in Kent is one of my favourite green spaces. It’s an urban wilderness with an outstanding variety of habitats that attracts some very special species. This includes a wide diversity of invertebrate species, including over 250 species of conservation concern and is of national importance, ranking with our best invertebrate brownfield sites. And it is one of just two places in the UK for the critically endangered distinguished jumping spider (Attulus distinguendus), among the host of rare bees, beetles, moths, and other invertebrates recorded there. Alongside the invertebrates, the site also attracts a wonderful variety of birds to this most urban location: everything from marsh harriers, grasshopper warblers, cuckoos and shovelers in the wetlands and reedbeds, nightingales in the scrub, a heronry in the woodlands, and black redstarts among the old buildings. Natural England has recently designated the Swanscombe Peninsula as SSSI status in recognition of the the rare habitats & species found on site. Building a Theme Park over an SSSI is unthinkable, in no way does this form part of the Government’s green recovery instead it would allow a dangerous precedent. 2) Traffic & Pollution - As a local I am aware of the traffic congestion in our area. It only takes one car accident over the Dartford Bridge during rush hour to gridlock our local roads. I have often been caught in stationary traffic on the A2 from as far back as Bexleyheath due to such accidents which is 4 junctions before the proposed turn off and before the extra traffic! Our roads here cannot take more traffic. More traffic creates pollution too which is damaging to health to all of us especially as Dartford is already one of the most polluted areas in the country. 3) The consultation questionnaire was bias to the developers from the beginning. Since when did the general public become qualified to judge whether an application offered good biodiversity? The figures taken from this questionnaire was then quoted by the BBC as well as other media making it appear that the public was on side with the developer