Battle to save West Thurrock Marshes wins national award

Thursday 4 June

The panel of judges were looking for innovative and passionate projects which have done the most to protect the planet. Buglife is thrilled that the campaign to save the Marshes has been recognised in this way. The awards ceremony for the Observer Ethical Awards 2009 was held on 3 June and Buglife's award was announced by actor Colin Firth.

“A healthy environment depends on healthy ecosystems, which is about more than ensuring that elephants and orchids have places to live. This award is an indication of the increasing recognition that life on earth depends on pollinators, water cleaners, soil fertilizers and a myriad of other small animals. Many of these animals are struggling to cope in modern Britain and the battle of West Thurrock Marshes has highlighted that the system is failing to help them.” said Matt Shardlow, Chief Executive of Buglife.

West Thurrock Marshes - an oasis for rare wildlife © Greg Hitchcock

West Thurrock Marshes is a brownfield site the size of 60 football pitches in South Essex. It is home to 36 rare and endangered types of animal, so many that only two British nature reserves support more Red Data Book listed species. Rare species living on the site include the Brown-banded carder bee – a beautiful bumblebee that has declined massively and is now in a perilous position, and the Distinguished jumping spider which is found on just two sites in the UK. All this was put in jeopardy in 2006 by a proposal to build a huge Royal Mail distribution centre that would obliterate 70% of the flower rich grassland.

Buglife’s fight to save the Marshes included:- a House of Commons motion supported by 63 MPs; a 2,500 signature petition; a meeting with the Prime Minister; a lengthy legal battle including three full court hearings; a set of mock stamps highlighting the Royal Mail’s involvement; and high profile publicity in the national press.

Brown-banded carder bee (Bombus humilis) - this beautiful bumblebee has declined massively in the UK and is in a perilous position. It is one of the many threatened bugs found on the Marshes. © Sam Ashfield

The efforts have given the endangered wildlife on the site a three-year reprieve and resulted in the Royal Mail withdrawing their interest in moving onto the site. It has exposed the frailty of the level of protection that biodiversity is given in the planning system. Buglife’s court action has been truly ground-breaking - it is the first time that biodiversity protection has been tested in UK courts; the first time that British Courts have awarded a Protective Costs Order for an environmental case; and it has established that species on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan list are legally ‘protected’.

Distinguished jumping spider (Sitticus distinguendus). This little spider is found on just two sites in the UK - West Thurrock Marshes and another site threatened with development. It could soon be lost for good. © Peter Harvey

Unfortunately, it has also established that impacts on endangered species are not on their own sufficient to prevent development and a revised warehouse and car parking planning application has been submitted that, if approved, will seal much of West Thurrock Marches under concrete.