Representation by Jane Storey
- Date submitted
- 27 March 2021
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Britain's wildlife is in serious decline in the UK and there is much evidence to show this is the case. Habitat loss is a driving factor behind this. Many insect species that are considered common are dwindling in number due to general habitat degradation, and rarer species that live in specialised habitats are particularly under threat from habitat loss. We do not have an infinite supply of these special habitats, many of which have, for various reasons, been lost over the years. They are not places that can be conjured up overnight, once they are gone they are lost to us for ever, taking their wildness and their wildlife with them. Their existance matters deeply to me. I want such places to exist for future generations. Swanscombe Marshes is a fine example of a specialised habitat. It needs protecting and celebrating for all the wildlife, both common and rare, that thrives there. I believe there is general agreement that losing such places is a bad thing, that biodiversity loss needs to be reversed but this needs to be acted upon. Clear signals showing that such places are valued and matter to our society set the tone for how we proceed in the future. Allowing the theme park development to go ahead would give exactly the opposite signal. I have enjoyed visits to theme parks myself and am not against them but the Swanscombe area is not the place for such a development. Strong and consistent messages showing wildlife and wild places are important to us need to be made. The pandemic has brought this closer into focus for us than ever before.