Medway Council planning to build 5000 houses on nationally-important wildlife site

RSPB urges Medway Council to end plan to build on nationally-important wildlife site

June 2013. The RSPB is urging Medway Council to reconsider its criticized proposals to build 5000 homes on a nationally important site for wildlife.

The appeal follows a letter from the Planning Inspector to the council, which finds Medway Council's Core Strategy (for housing development) unsound because Lodge Hill proposals are inconsistent with national planning guidance (the National Planning Policy Framework).

Commenting on the situation this morning, Martin Harper, the RSPB's Director of Conservation, said: "The leaders of Medway Council need to stop wasting time and money and identify alternatives sites for development which will provide homes and jobs for the people of Medway, whilst protecting the environment for those people and for future generations."

Site of Special Scientific Interest - Important for nightingales and rare plants

Earlier this year, Natural England notified Lodge Hill - a former military training school in North Kent - as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its importance for nightingales and rare plants. The site has been identified as one of the most important in the country for nightingales.

Martin Harper added: "This is not a case of wildlife versus jobs and houses. We perfectly understand Medway Council's desire to create employment and homes for the people of North Kent. However, the Government's own guidance is perfectly clear: housing shouldn't be proposed for nationally-important wildlife sites before alternatives have been considered.

Continued