7 Upper Roach Valley and Wallasea Island

Vision

In five years....

• Cherry Orchard Jubilee Country Park has been expanded to the east and west and access from Cherry Orchard link road, including improved footpath and cycle access has been implemented.

By 2025....

• The Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project has been implemented and has created a space for bird watching and other recreation, whilst also enhancing biodiversity

• The Upper Roach Valley has become a vast 'green lung' surrounded by Southend, Rayleigh, Hockley and Rochford and provides a substantial informal area of recreation, with green links between Cherry Orchard Country Park and Hockley Woods.

Objectives

1. To create additional informal, high quality recreational spaces in the Upper Roach Valley which is accessible to local residents, whilst ensuring the protection and enhancement of biodiversity.

2. To ensure the delivery of the Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project in an ecologically sensitive manner which provides recreation opportunities whilst enhancing biodiversity.

Upper Roach Valley

7.1 The Upper Roach Valley, including the area around Hockley Woods, is an area with special landscape characteristics. In the Rochford District Replacement Local Plan (2006) the area is designated as a Special Landscape Area and as an Area of Ancient Landscape. These designations arose from survey work carried out by Essex County Council.

7.2 The Upper Roach Valley is a large 'green lung' bounded by Rayleigh, Hockley, Rochford and Southend. As such, it represents an opportunity to provide informal recreational space accessible to local residents. Parts of the Upper Roach Valley are already well utilised, such as Hockley Woods and the recently established Cherry Orchard Jubilee Country Park.

7.3 There are fourteen ancient woodlands in the District and seven of them lie within the Upper Roach Valley, south of the head of the valley formed by the railway line. The area's importance to biodiversity is reflected in the designation of a number of wildlife sites within the Upper Roach Valley.

7.4 The need for more informal recreational space in South East Essex has been identified on numerous occasions over a number of years, including in the 1982 and 2001 Structure Plans and the 2005 Thames Gateway South Essex Greengrid Strategy.

7.5 The Council has sought to help address this need through the establishment of Cherry Orchard Jubilee Country Park. Work began on the Country Park in 2002 and the park has been gradually expanded. The approach to the development of the Country Park is centred on ensuring the right conditions are in place in order for fauna and flora to flourish, and utilising the existing features of the landscape, all with the minimum of human interference.

7.6 The Upper Roach Valley represents an opportunity to provide recreational activities in close proximity to the main residential settlements of the District, as well as Southend. The Council is carrying out works to improve access to the Country Park and will implement improved access and car-parking facilities in a manner that minimises the impact on the landscape. This provides an opportunity to link this area with the wider green infrastructure network and improve access to the countryside from surrounding areas.

7.7 To the north-west of the Country Park lies Hockley Woods - and to the south-west of Hockley Woods is an area designated as a special and historic landscape area. Currently these areas are not connected, but there is potential to do so to enhance informal recreational opportunities. Sustainable access to these areas (for example linked cycling networks) will be encouraged. These will also be used to provide wildlife networks, thus avoiding fragmentation of habitats.

Wallasea Island

7.8 The RSPB's proposed Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project has potential for tourism and leisure, as well as ecological, benefits. This project is adjacent to the recently realigned coast of Wallasea Island and involves the RSPB working in partnership with the Environment Agency and Crossrail to turn a large area of arable land into an area comprising a plethora of wildlife habitats comprising 133 ha of mudflats, 276 ha of saltmarsh, 76 ha shallow saline lagoons, 11 ha of brackish grazing marsh and 109 ha of pasture. The project also aims to incorporate improved access into the new landscape which will allow visitors to appreciate the area without adversely affecting wildlife.

(1) 7.9 At the same time, Essex Marina is located on Wallasea Island and there is potential to further develop waterfront recreation on the Crouch through the provision of additional marina facilities in this area.

7.10 Opportunities are somewhat constrained by the lack of accessibility to Wallasea Island, in addition to the need to ensure that any increased levels of human activity are not detrimental to ecological and environmental interests, particularly given that the area is part of the Natura 2000 network.