Representation by Richard Hearn
- Date submitted
- 31 March 2021
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Nature is in serious decline in the UK, despite a multitude of policies and initiatives designed to stem the overall rate of loss. Species monitoring data collected by many thousands of volunteer observers demonstrate that 15% of those species assessed are threatened with extinction, and that 41% have declined since 1970 (see State of Nature 2019). The causes are complex and urgent action on many fronts is needed if the UK is to meet its national and international commitments to restore biodiversity (e.g. as set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan and the draft Global Biodiversity Framework, due to be signed at the Convention of Biological Diversity’s 15th Conference of the Parties later in 2021). One of the most important contributions we can make to these commitments is to ensure that no more of our existing jewels are lost. Mitigating for the loss of key sites with established habitats and biodiversity value is not an easy task, and generally it is several decades before such compensation habitat provides the same biodiversity value of what has been lost. Such gradual erosion of the quality of our natural environment is what has led us into this biodiversity crisis. Swanscombe Marshes is one of these jewels. This is widely recognised by conservation specialists, including Natural England who recently recommended that it should be protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). You will no doubt be familiar with the figures that demonstrate the sites significance – it is a unique open mosaic of coastal habitats, including grasslands, scrub and wetlands that supports over 250 invertebrate species of conservation concern, including the Critically Endangered Distinguished jumping spider, found on only one other site in the UK, and nationally rare and endangered bees, spiders, beetles, wasps and a host of other invertebrates that make the site of national importance. It also supports 15 red-listed Birds of Conservation Concern and 12 Species of Principal Importance, including Marsh Harrier, Bearded Reedling, Nightingale and Black Redstart, 13 nationally scarce vascular plants, including 5 red-listed species and locally important populations of reptiles and mammals. It is therefore crucial that key biodiversity sites such as Swanscombe Marshes are protected and further improved for their biodiversity and for future generations of people. In addition to what they provide for our shared biodiversity, there is also growing recognition of the health and wellbeing value to people of being in nature. If this value was taken into consideration when making decisions about the future of Swanscombe, it is highly likely the importance of protecting the site and providing access for local residents from an area where most of the landscape is urban or agricultural would far outweigh the community value of whatever might replace it. I hope that the value of this site to nature and people is fully recognised in your assessment and implore you to support its protection as a SSSI and ensure its value for nature and people persists into the future.