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There is a facility in the plan for conser-
vation of two areas - part of Wennington and
Aveley Marsh and an otherwise industrially/
residentially unusable area (in the short-term)
on the south-westernmost point of the site.
I was invited to discuss the proposed plans
with representatives of the developers on
Wednesday, 13th December and I put forward the
fallowing points in defence of the Rainham,
Wennington, and Aveley Marshes.
1. Its status as an S.S.S.I. (granted in 1986)
indicated that the Nature Conservancy Council
(the statutory nature conservation body in the
U.K.) recognised its importance as an area for
wildlife; the S.S.S.I. covers over 1,000 acres
of this site.
2. The magnitude of the development would
threaten the existence of some species
currently using this site, such as breeding
Redshank and Short-eared Owls and also the
large numbers of wildfowl which use parts of
the site in winter.
3. I could foresee problems for any remaining
marshland adjacent to such a development
despite assurances that these would not occur.
The land to be built on would have to be
massively drained before building could take
place, which would have unknown consequences
for the remaining marsh.
4. Using the Chapman and Andre topography
(surveyed 1771-2) I pointed out how in the
eighteenth century Thameside grazing marsh in