BEXLEY councillors are on a collision course with London's Mayor over the future of one of the capital's last remaining grazing marshes.

Ken LIvinstone wants the whole of the remaining Erith Marshes to be declared an Area of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation (AMINC) in his London Plan.

But Bexley is "strongly opposing" the suggestion because it has earmarked the land for a business park.

Conservationists and the council have battled over the Thamesmead site for several years.

The land is owned by Tilfen, formerly Thamesmead Town, and it is zoned for industrial uses in Bexley's Unitary Development Plan and identified as the site of the East Thamesmead Business Park.

But the land, which is bordered by a nature reserve, is home to water voles a protected species skylarks and other rare plants and animals.

Residents have tried to get the land designated as a town green and to get the industrial zoning changed to prevent development but Bexley has refused all their applications.

The site is even recognised in Bexley's own Biodiversity Action Plan, approved by the council, which says existing grazing marsh must be protected.

But in their reply to the Mayor, councillors agreed last week to tell him designating the land as an AMINC was "unnecessary and inappropriate".

They agreed the site was "a major development site of strategic importance for Thames Gateway which has been designated for employment uses for at least 20 years and for which development proposals are well advanced."

They said any nature conservation could be done alongside development.

Conservationists at a sub group meeting which discussed the proposal, were furious. They accused officers of trying to hide the importance of Bexley's biodiversity action plan.

They said investigations by officers from the Greater London Authority had concluded the remaining area of the marshes should get the same protection as the rest.

Only Belvedere councillor Peter Hollamby voted against the rejection of an AMINC, saying the council should look at the biodiversity plan and err on the side of caution.