A roundup of Lodge Hill

It’s been a hectic few months and April has seen the nightingales return to the UK to breed after having made the long migration from Africa (now is the time to see them – find out how here). We’ve also almost come to the end of the public consultation for Lodge Hill. Whilst we won’t know what the future holds for one of the best sites in the UK for nightingales until later this year, it’s been a remarkable response so far.

As we’ve written before, Lodge Hill is one of the last strongholds for nightingales in the UK, but Medway Council want to allocate it for housing which would help pave the way for one of the largest ever losses of protected site in Britain.

The consultation for this plan has been extended twice, and is now due to finish on the 30^th May. At time of writing, Medway Council have received 10,635 emails telling them not to include Lodge Hill in their Local Plan for development. It’s a brilliant result and a massive thank you to everyone who’s taken part.

There’s still time to add your name, however what would really help now would be a personal letter or email of support. It takes a little bit more time, but can be more impactful. We’ve given some key points that you might like to raise in your letter, and some background information on Lodge Hill below.

If you take part, can you send us a quick email at campaigns@rspb.org.uk to let us know so we can keep track of how many responses have been sent. The letter can be sent directly to Medway Council at futuremedway@medway.gov.uk or by post to the Planning Policy team, the Planning Service, Medway Council, Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TR.

Key points you might like to raise in your letter or email:

• Lodge Hill should not be included in the development options in Medway Council’s Local Plan.
• The site is protected as a SSSI for nightingales, ancient woodland and rare grassland.
• Under the National Planning Policy Framework, proposed development on land within a Site of Special Scientific Interest likely to have an adverse effect should not normally be permitted. Government also makes it clear that the planning system must deliver on its environmental role by contributing to protecting and enhancing our natural, built and historical environment.
• Development on Lodge Hill would be in direct conflict with this framework and vision given the potential for destruction of scarce habitat and harmful impact on rare protected species.
• The development options consultation document vision also states that Medway must show how land can be provided for housing, jobs, infrastructure and services, whilst protecting important environmental and heritage assets, and how the new Local Plan will seek to strengthen the condition of the local environment, and respect the need to live within the earth’s environmental limits.
• Inclusion of Lodge Hill would set a dangerous precedent, weakening the protection afforded to SSSIs across England.

Background information on Lodge Hill

Lodge Hill is so important for its nightingales, ancient woodland and rare grassland that in 2013 the Government gave it national protection by declaring it a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

However this same land is now being targeted as a prime development opportunity. Medway Council is currently consulting over which land it will consider allocating for new housing as part of its Local Plan Development Options stage, and has said loud and clear that it wants to see Lodge Hill allocated. We know from a previous planning application that they are eager for it to hold 5,000 houses. This allocation is set to test the Government’s safeguards that prevent many of our best wildlife havens from being lost to new housing estates and developments.

If Lodge Hill is included in the Local Plan, it would help pave the way for one of the largest ever losses of a protected site in Britain. If developed, it is likely that 144 hectares of SSSI would be destroyed - about the same as 200 football pitches. We estimate that this would destroy 80% of the nightingales’ homes. The few left would have little future due to the massive new development alongside them. They can't just move - there's nowhere for them to go to.

Inclusion of Lodge Hill would undermine the Government’s own tests for preventing damaging development on every other SSSI in England, meaning that they could be at risk from harmful activities in the future, too. The development of Lodge Hill would set a precedent for all of England's SSSIs.

If you would like further help or information, please contact campaigns@rspb.org.uk.