皇冠体育app

A valuable green space in the shadow of the M25, abundant in wildlife and with huge benefits for people, has today been designated a SSSI in recognition of its national importance for rare wildlife.

皇冠体育app 250 hectare site, alongside the Thames Estuary, forms a corridor of habitats connecting Ebbsfleet Valley with the southern shore of the River Thames between Dartford and Gravesend.

皇冠体育app site has an incredible assortment of grassland, scrub, wetlands, grazing marsh and saltmarsh habitat in a relatively small area, providing ideal conditions for a unique variety of wildlife.

皇冠体育app area is home to over 1,700 invertebrate species, which includes over a quarter of the UK鈥檚 water beetle species and more than 200 species that are considered of conservation importance. It is one of just two places in the UK where the critically endangered distinguished jumping spider is found.

皇冠体育app rich and varied habitats on the peninsula also provide great conditions for breeding birds such as marsh harrier and bearded tit, and for nationally scarce plants threatened with extinction in Great Britain, such as the divided sedge and the slender hare鈥檚 ear.

Positioned close to major towns and with a large population living close by, Swanscombe Peninsula has enormous value as a green space and refuge for people as well as wildlife. 皇冠体育app England Coast Path, once opened, will run around the northern boundary of the site, and with existing rights of ways, provide people with important places to enjoy nature.

James Seymour, Sussex and Kent Area Manager, Natural England, said:

皇冠体育app designation of Swanscombe Peninsula as an SSSI is great news for one of the richest known sites in England for invertebrates, ensuring essential refuge for many rare and threatened species that sadly are not able to thrive in the wider landscape.

Right on the doorstep of some of our most densely populated towns and cities, this new SSSI will also offer wonderful opportunities for people to connect with nature via the England Coast Path. This area is living proof that some of our most important species can thrive hand in hand with businesses and transport infrastructure. Special places like this will form the vital backbone of a national nature recovery network.

皇冠体育app new Swanscombe Peninsula SSSI incorporates the previously designated Bakers Hole SSSI, which covered 6.9 hectares with geological and archaeological features. 皇冠体育appse are vital for understanding past glacial periods and the use of the area by earlier Stone Age populations.

皇冠体育appre are over 4,100 SSSIs in England, covering around 8% of the country鈥檚 land area. More than 80% of these sites (by area) are internationally important for their wildlife and also designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) or Ramsar sites. Many National Nature Reserves (NNRs) and Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) are also SSSIs.

Natural England recognises that there is interest and consideration of potential development opportunities in the Swanscombe area. Designation of this site for its nationally important wildlife features is an important step towards ensuring that its environmental value is recognised and taken due account of in any future planning decisions.

皇冠体育app government has laid out its ambition in the 25 Year Environment Plan for a growing and resilient network of land, water and sea that is richer in plants and wildlife, and has also recently committed to protecting 30% of the UK鈥檚 land by 2030 which will result in over 4,000 square kilometres of new land in England being designated.

Natural England鈥檚 People and Nature survey has shown that almost 9 in 10 adults in England during lockdown reported that protection of the environment is important to them, and today鈥檚 move will help ensure that local communities in Swanscombe and the surrounding areas continue to benefit from these wildlife-rich green spaces long-term.

Further information

A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is one of the country鈥檚 very best wildlife and/or geological sites. SSSIs include some of the most spectacular and beautiful habitats: wetlands teeming with wading birds, winding chalk rivers, flower rich meadows, windswept shingle beaches and remote upland peat bogs, as well as much loved woodlands, meadows, heathlands and wetlands close to where people live in our towns, cities and villages.

Natural England is the government鈥檚 adviser for the natural environment in England, helping to protect England鈥檚 nature and landscapes for people to enjoy and for the services they provide. Natural England is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is Natural England鈥檚 responsibility to notify an area as a SSSI when it believes the wildlife or geology is of special interest.

As of 11 March 2021, the SSSI has been formally notified to landowners and occupiers and other interested parties. 皇冠体育appre will be a 4 month period in which anyone can make representations or object to the notification. If all objections are resolved or none are submitted, the designation will be confirmed. If there are unresolved objections the Natural England Board will hear all of these; they must then decide whether to confirm the designation (with or without reductions). If the notification is not confirmed within 9 months of the date of notification, the notification falls.