Representation by Dr Nicola Hall
- Date submitted
- 30 March 2021
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I believe that Swanscombe Marsh must not be used as site for the 'London Resort'. It is awaiting designation as a SSSI, and contains supra-nationally important populations of exceedingly rare wildlife. It is particularly special as a mosaic of rare habitats. These include rare plants, invertebrates (the bed rock of a rich biodiverse ecology) reptiles, mammals and birds. It is one of only two sites in the UK where a particular spider survives. It is a site for nightingales and other exceptionally rare birds. England is one of the most biodiverse-depleted countries in the world (189th out of 220) and special sites like this one, constantly threatened by development, need all the protection we can give them and most definitely should not be considered for a profiteering development of a resort. Once lost, these sites can never be reconstituted: offering alternative sites for the wildlife in question is laughable because of the complexity and richness of the ecology present that cannot possibly be recreated elsewhere.