Rainham Marsh is one of the nation's most important wetlands, designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) [1]. It is under threat from a planning application by Millennium Dome quango, English Partnerships [2] which wants to concrete it over for warehouses, a drive-through restaurant and petrol station. FOE is calling on Mr Prescott to halt the plan.

Matt Phillips, wildlife campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:
"This shameful plan to destroy London's largest wetland will rank as one of the most damaging incidents since our wildlife laws were introduced almost twenty years ago.Failure to protect this important site will reflect badly on Environment Secretary John Prescott and his Government. In the year since the water summit there has been a lot of green talk, but wetland sites such as Rainham are still set to go under the bulldozer. Mr Prescott's water posturing will prove pointless if there is no wetland environment left to enjoy. The Government must give proper protection to our finest wetland habitats by introducing a wildlife bill in the next Queen's Speech."

NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] Inner Thames Marshes SSSI of which Rainham Marshes is part is by far the largest wetland in Greater London and is one of the few remaining remnants of the marshes that once fringed the Thames. A significant population of Water voles (Arvicola terrestris) has recently been found on site for the first time by local conservationists and it is also visited by highly significant numbers of Teal as well as Short-eared owl, Godwit,Shoveller and redshank. The population of Water voles found on the SSSI may be one of the largest in Greater London. This species has declined by 74 per cent in the last ten years and is the subject of a Government rescue project with its own 'biodiversity action plan'.

[2] English Partnerships has applied to Havering Borough Council to develop the area with what is understood to be 16m of public money. However, no private sector developer is involved and the application may be illegal. Friends of the Earth wrote to John Prescott about the issue in January, but has still received no reply.Friends of Rainham Marsh have produced a report called The Best of Both Worlds (available on request) which shows the SSSI can be protected and development can be brought to the Borough securing both wildlife and regeneration of genuinely derelict land.

[3] Visit Friends of the Earth's Wildplaces! website for details of threatened/damaged SSSIs across Great Britain.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust