Artist's impression of the proposed theme park which would be built on precious wildlife habitat
THERE has been a reprieve for a wildlife habitat threatened by a proposed Disneyland-style theme park near London.
It has been reported this week that developers London Resort Company Holdings have called in financial administrators after running up £100-million in debt.
This will further delay progress on the proposed £4-billion London Resort attraction on the Swanscombe Peninsula which is located on the south bank of the River Thames between Gravesend and Dartford in North Kent.
However, the company says it still hopes to proceed if its financial problems can be solved in such a way as to "ensure long-term surety".
But equally great a headache for the company is securing planning consent given that the 535-acre site is rich in wildlife and was last year declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
It is home to such birds as cuckoo, nightingale, marsh harrier, bearded tit and Cetti’s warbler.
Among organisations that have expressed concerns about the project are:
* RSPB
* Kent Ornithological Society
* Buglife
* Kent Wildlife Trust
* Council for the Protection of Rural England
* Amateur Entomologists' Society
* British Arachnological Society
Those in favour of it for its wealth- and jobs-creating potential include:
* Port of London Authority
* HS1 Ltd
* Ebbsfleet Development Corporation
* Tarmac
* Cemex
After the SSSI status was designated last March by Natural England, its chairman, Tony Juniper, said: "The exceptional variety of birds, invertebrates, plants and geology on this site is an important reminder that nature often thrives in places that might seem scruffy and derelict at first glance.
"This designation emphasises the need to ensure that nature is protected and restored in places where people live, so that they have easy access to the health, wellbeing and joy that nature can provide."
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