Representation by Michelle Davey
- Date submitted
- 31 March 2021
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I'll keep it brief; I heard my first cuckoo in this SSSI area in 2020. I'm 38 and I heard my FIRST cuckoo. That says something! This place is special, it is home to an abundance of wildlife, which needs protection. The fact it's now been classified SSSI shows that and should be respected. Nature heals. Studies have shown that getting out into nature could ease the burden on our NHS. After feeling anxious and depressed 10 years ago, I approached the NHS for help. The wait time for a referral to a counsellor back then was 10 months. In 2018 the Independent reported it had increased to 2 years in some cases. The struggles experienced by many in 2020 will surely see these wait times increase further. Having green spaces has always been important, but following COVID, even more so. The increase in pollution we'd see would undoubtedly cause the local population issues too. Dartford is already one of the most polluted areas in the South East. Why add to it with more roads? We need to do everything we can to support our NHS, and preserving our green space is one way we could do that. I am not against some regeneration of the area entirely, but feel it would be much more appropriate for it to be a wildlife/wetland centre, having conservation at its heart.