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15th Nov, 2006
Buglife, the invertebrate charity hit the front pages this week with its campaign to prevent development on West Thurrock Marshes. The full story is on its website (www.buglife.org.uk) and includes the following:
'In a move that has stunned wildlife campaigners, Royal Mail has been given the go-ahead to build on one of the top two UK sites for endangered wildlife.
A huge distribution warehouse and lorry park is now set to be built on West Thurrock Marshes, home to over one thousand three hundred species of invertebrates, birds and reptiles, including dozens of rare species and 36 animals listed in the conservation Red Data Book. According to experts, only one other site in the country supports more endangered wildlife.
Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation yesterday approved the controversial scheme, despite widespread opposition from the local council and nature conservation bodies including Buglife and Essex Wildlife Trust. The Development Corporation – a quango set up by John Prescott – decided that the nationally important wildlife interest of the site should not be allowed to stand in the way of its development.'
The Development Corporation claims to have fully consulted with Natural England, and to making provision for an adjacent SSSI as well as the rest of the site which will not be developed. Even so it is difficult to understand how so many environmental guidelines and policies can apparently be over-ridden. No doubt the postal depot is needed, but this being the case it could go somewhere else.
This does not seem to be a jobs issue so much as a location issue.
