Archived press release

Rainham marshes saved!

29 May 2002

London's 'jewel in the crown' wildlife haven has been reprieved at last. Friends of the Earth today joined local people and campaigners from Essex, across London and the country in celebrating saving the Rainham Marsh Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) from destruction.

The site has now been saved for the nation after local council, the London Borough of Havering, finally conceded that the marsh, part of the wider Inner Thames Marsh SSSI, should be kept for conservation. This u-turn comes after more than a decade of campaigning by environment groups and local residents to preserve the marsh as part of the regeneration of the wider Thames Gateway zone instead of covering it in concrete.

Paul de Zylva, Campaigns Coordinator of Friends of the Earth London said:

"This is great news for London, Essex and the rest of the UK. London's jewel in the crown wildlife site has been saved - at last.

Down the years the campaign to stop Havering Council and its partners destroying the marsh for speculative development has been supported by thousands of people locally and across the UK. They knew that jobs and wealth can be created without environmental destruction. It's only a pity it took so long for local Councillors to work this out and that they had to be forced to concede."

Phil Butler of Havering Friends of the Earth and Friends of Rainham Marsh, who spearheaded much of the local efforts to save the Marsh, said:

"Attention must now turn to ensuring that this important site is properly managed both for wildlife and for people. Let's make best use of this haven for education and for sustainable tourism. Our plans, which were rejected by Havering Council in the past, were always the best way to improve the local area. Had Rainham Marsh ended up under concrete it would have shown that talk about sustainable regeneration in Thames Gateway was just hype."

At one time the Government's regeneration agency, English Partnerships, had backed the destruction of the marsh, supporting Havering Council's view that the marsh was not of suffienct wildlife value event thought it was a SSSI and plans for a drive through restaurant, hotel and warehouses on the site and Recently the Mayor of London's own economic development agency, the London Development Agency, was party to proposals to renew the threat to the marsh.

Friends of the Earth, Friends of Rainham Marsh, the RSPB, London Wildlife Trust and others demanded that these public bodies to abide by their duties under the new wildlife laws passed in New Labour's first term.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust