Representation by Simon Martin Bradley
- Date submitted
- 30 March 2021
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am concerned at the threat posed to Swanscombe Marshes by the proposed London Resort theme park. This is an area of exceptional biodiversity, which is valued as a freely accessible, open, wild, quiet and restorative space by people across Greater London and beyond. The rough, 'unpretty' character of much of the area should not be taken as an excuse to build over the land. On the contrary, its complex history and industrial archaeology have created a positive legacy, in terms of the varied habitats and landscapes within the area threatened by the developers. This is a rare and precious place. As so many of the UK's red-listed species decline or dwindle away to extinction, it is especially disturbing to see how many would suffer extreme negative impact from the proposed development. Near the top of the list is the Distinguished Jumping Spider, which risks being reduced to a single UK site by the proposed redevelopment. The threat to Swanscombe's Nightingales, a beloved but endangered bird that is central to English culture, music and poetry, is a cause for further dismay. Rare insect species that have found a haven at Swanscombe are too many to list here. Of its flora, the prsence of the wonderful but critically endangered Man Orchid (Orchis anthropophora) should alone be enough to secure protection of the site in its present rewilded state. A comparable case to Swanscombe is Rainham Marshes on the Essex side of the Thames, which was proposed for a giant theme park some years ago, and has instead become a treasured and much-visited nature reserve in the hands of the RSPB. Let Swanscombe Marshes flourish as Rainham Marshes have flourished. To conclude, I have read the developers' own statement of intent for the site. This is wholly unconvincing in terms both of protecting the character of the site, and safeguarding the future of the species and habitats which have rightly earned its designation as an SSS1.