Plans for ‘UK’s answer to Disneyland’ halted after rare spider found on site
Construction of a new £2.5bn Disney -style theme park has been halted following the discovery of a rare spider.
The critically-endangered creepy crawly was found lurking in swampland where work on the London Resort Attraction is due to begin.
Conservationists have now lodged an application for the government to protect the 465-hectare site in Swanscombe Peninsula in Kent, the Mirror reports.
Buglife argued the 5mm-long Distinguished Jumping Spider is found in only one other location in Britain and is among hundreds of "at risk" species who habitat is threatened.
Plans to open the theme park by 2024 have been stopped in their tracks while Natural England considers the application to designate the marshland a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) – banning doing anything that might harm its rare species.
Developers submitted their planning bid to develop two theme park gates, a water park, conference and convention centre and e-Sports facility on New Year's Eve.
The theme park would create 30,000 jobs and have rides inspired by shows from BBC Studios, ITV Studios and Paramount Pictures, alongside hotels, restaurants and a conference centre, say its backers.
When complete, it will be three times larger than any other park in the UK – spanned across 535 acres, the equivalent of 136 Wembley Stadiums.
Around 70 per cent of the attractions undercover to cope with the unpredictable English weather.
First glimpse at London Resort theme park dubbed 'UK's answer to Disneyland'
But Paul Hetherington of Buglife said: "It's a fantastic, massive open space right on the doorstep of a huge population in London.
"The 'nationally significant infrastructure' designation was brought in for motorways and HS2.
"How does building a theme park constitute national infrastructure?"
A spokesman for Buglife added: "It is home to nightingales, cuckoos, marsh harriers and a thriving population of common lizards, thanks to its array of rich habitats, as well as abundant bees, butterflies and beetles."
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Buglife projects manager Jamie Robins said: "This site does of course remain an outstanding wildlife site of the highest quality and appears to be the best site for invertebrates within the whole suite of nationally important Thames Estuary sites for bugs."
The Environment Agency said: "Natural England is aware of the wildlife importance of land on the Swanscombe Peninsula.
"It is considering whether land on the Swanscombe Peninsula should be proposed for notification as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
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"It expects to complete its assessment and make a decision on whether the Swanscombe Peninsula should be notified as a SSSI in early 2021."
If the plans are approved, it will be the first European development of its kind to be built from scratch since the opening of Disneyland Paris in 1992.
The Planning Inspectorate formally acknowledged the bid on its portal on January 4.
It has 28 days from that date to decide whether or not to accept it for review.
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