A few hours ago I sadly posted this blog, setting out our initial reaction to the shocking news that the proposal to extend the famously unsuccessful Lydd airport’s runway has been approved. I also had to tell my 8 year old son who has come to love Dungeness. His face fell – but he rallied to say ‘don’t worry no one will want to fly from there’. And if history is any guide, he may well be right.
I hope he is, otherwise a future of creeping development, a tsunami of concrete, beckons as a future for Dungeness. Its remoteness, its bruised wilderness and peerless wildlife will be in retreat. Nature deeper in trouble.
In one of those ironies of timing I posted this blog earlier today – revealing some new science looking at the places species on the move pick to nest. This is important as our best wildlife sites (like Dungeness) will become increasingly important as species move in the face of, for example, the changing climate.
And we’ve seen this happen at Dungeness when the first purple heron’s to breed successfully in Britain nested in 2010.
One of Dungeness' famous purple herons coming into land in 2010. Photo credit David Featherbe
Now the future of big flappy birds (especially gulls and waterfowl) that call Dungeness home is in jeopardy as they are inconveniently located between an airport and a nuclear power station. That’s not an equation that will work out well for wildlife.
It’s early days – we have to scrutinise the decision and plan the next steps, I’ll keep you posted via this blog. But for now, huge thanks to the dozens of people who have lived this battle for years and to the thousands of people who have unstinting in your support so far.
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Thanks Gill - whatever the ins and out of this decision, its still a mad place for an airport