The plans announced by the Government could mean disaster for rare birds and habitats, as two schemes are being discussed.

Chris Corrigan, RSPB director for Southeast England said: “Any development of this type, on this scale in the Thames Estuary would be an irreversible act of vandalism on a grand scale. Paving over communities and wildlife is not the way forward. We should be investing in our environment and tackling climate change, building foundations which future generations will thank us for.”

Loss of habitat is one of the chief reasons that populations of native birds are dropping.