(7) 2. Context for the AAP options

This chapter sets out the planning and policy context which governs Hockley and reviews the key messages from the baseline analysis undertaken to support the wider Area Action Plan development.

THE POLICY CONTEXT

East of England Plan

The East of England Plan provided a key policy context for the original Hockley AAP but Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs) have since been revoked by the Coalition Government. The Plan did allocate a 4,600 new homes target to Rochford District Council, with a policy steer supporting mixed-use economies in which town centres help to attract investment and avoid the need for Green Belt land to be developed, where at all possible.

These housing targets are no longer binding, but the underlying requirement for new homes in the region and the tension between Green Belt and town centre development remains.

Rochford District Council Core Strategy Submission Document (2010)

During the original AAP process, Rochford District Council was at the preferred option stage in the preparation of the Core Strategy. This prioritised new development on brownfield sites, including town centres, and allocated 400 new homes to the Hockley/Hawkwell area. Proposed changes to the Core Strategy Submission Document in light of changes to government policy are currently out to consultation, with comments due back by 30 November 2010.

Updates to the Core Strategy document include Policy H1, with reference to the fact that the nature of any redevelopment of Eldon Way/Foundry Industrial Estates should be determined through the Hockley Area Action Plan.

Employment Land Study (2008)

This study considered the current supply and quality, future need and demand of employment space within Rochford District and forms a technical background report to the Council’s Local Development Framework. The report considered the Eldon Way Industrial Estate to be strategically well placed with adequate vehicular access, good public transport access, and proximity to the centre. The report recommended that the land use here only change if office space is provided as part of a mixed-use scheme, to ensure that jobs are not lost in the centre.

The buildings on Eldon Way were generally considered to be in good condition. 25% were identified as being in poor condition, though the location of these was not identified.

Retail and leisure study (2008)

This study found Hockley to be the smallest of Rochford District’s three main centres and did not consider it to meet the definition of a town centre as set out in PPS6 (since replaced by PPS4). However, it was considered to benefit from a strong comparison goods sector and mix of independent shops.

The report highlighted that Hockley retains just 8.1% of food expenditure, as a result of the limited range of convenience goods on offer within the centre, but is used for top-up food spending. The report also drew attention to the lack of larger retail unit sizes in Hockley to attract national retailers, and the lack of leisure service operators in the centre.

The report identified potential to enhance the frontages in Hockley to create a high quality centre and advised the encouragement of specialist businesses to create a ‘boutique’ retail centre, whilst acknowledging economic challenges here. The report recommended extension and improvement to existing retail over large scale development of new retail and a reclassification of Hockley to District Centre status, to be reviewed at a later date.

Hockley Parish Plan (2007)

The Hockley Parish Plan was developed in 2007, following detailed consultation with local residents. The Plan promotes a greening of Hockley’s centre, with more planting and trees and enhancement of the public realm, with shop front improvements and additional seating and lighting.

The plan emphasises the importance of avoiding coalescence between Hockley and neighbouring urban areas by protecting Green Belt land from development. The local community stressed during consultation that they would prefer to see any new development on previously developed land, and would like to limit the overall level of new housing in the area, and ensure that affordable starter homes are provided in any new development.

THE PHYSICAL CONTEXT

Hockley’s strategic location and local setting

Hockley is located approximately 5 miles to the north west of Southend-on-Sea, on a peninsula bound by the River Thames to the south, the River Crouch to the north and the North Sea to the east. This gives the centre a unique landscape setting which is further enhanced by the ancient Hockley Woods immediately to the south of the centre, forming part of the Upper Roach Valley. The centre is surrounded by Metropolitan Green Belt land, which has conserved the area’s rural feel.

Within the district of Rochford, Hockley sits between the larger town centres of Rochford, to the south east, and Rayleigh to the south west. It is located on the Great Eastern rail connection between Southend and London Liverpool Street, which supports commuting from the centre into London.

In terms of road networks, Hockley sits on the vehicular route between Rochford and Rayleigh, but is not connected directly to an A road. Hockley’s position on a rural peninsula means that no significant new roads are required to the north or east of the settlement. Strategic roads are picked up to the west of Rayleigh, where the A127,A13 and A130 meet. Local attractors for car journeys are Southend, Basildon to the west and Chelmsford to the north west.

History of Hockley

Hockley has a considerable history, with evidence of a Roman presence at Plumberow Mount and a strong early Saxon presence.The sett lement was mentioned in the Domesday Book, completed in 1086, and the local St Peter and Paul Church is dated in its current form to the twelfth century though is believed to have existed prior to this.

Hockley Spa represented a high point for the settlement when it was established in 1843, although it was not used for a significant number of years as visitors headed to coastal resorts. The Great Eastern rail line was completed in 1889 and had a significant impact on Hockley, with much residential development following this thanks to a new found accessibility. However, the extremely long history of Hockley and its small size today indicates that despite the arrival of rail, Hockley did not experience the scale of expansion seen elsewhere in the country.

Hockley’s character

Hockley’s village heritage and the surrounding rural landscape provide a strong identity for the local community despite changes to the se ttlement over the years. Some historic buildings still exist within the sett lement and provide visual links to this heritage. These include The Spa Pump Room on Spa Road; the former hotel to accompany this, now the Spa pub; St Peter and Paul’s Church; the old Fire Station on Main Road; the thatched co ttage; and some commercial buildings on Spa Road. The historic street layout has also been retained, with the historic centre of the sett lement at the Spa roundabout. This still represents the focus of activity, although the physical environment here would now benefit from improvement.

Hockley was classified as a minor local centre in 2008 by Management Horizon Europe, to Rochford’s local centre and Rayleigh’s minor district centre, and this classification is echoed on the parish council website which identifies Hockley as “too large to be a village but too small to be a town”. The size of Hockley presents a conundrum for the sett lement in terms of its character and role and it is important for the AAP to find a way forward that does not let the centre stagnate but which respects the identity formed from its landscape context and the collective memory of the community. The options outlined for the AAP draw on the assets of the centre and ensure development is focused upon the needs of local residents.

The study area

The core study area for the Hockley Area Action Plan covers the train station area, the Eldon Way and Foundry Industrial Estates, Spa Road, and the central sections of Main Road and Southend Road. This covers the area broadly considered to be Hockley’s centre.

The retail offer in the study area is relatively limited in comparison with nearby towns, with few high-street multiples but a reasonable selection of independent comparison shops. At the southern end of the study area, a collection of community uses, comprising a library, Health Surgery and the Parish Council is found.

Between the main central retail area and railway station there is a relatively recent development of apartments and town houses and some office space which has remained vacant since completion in 2009. The Eldon Way employment area has seen some recent approvals for conversion of employment units to leisure uses in recent years, but these are currently located amongst the remaining industrial uses, which can cause safety issues. Demand for private office space in the area is weak.

Beyond the core study area, Hockley quickly shifts to a suburban residential character, and these areas are considered to be stable and successful and are therefore not considered part of the study area.

Baseline analysis

Baseline analysis was undertaken for the original AAP project, which considered the land uses, form and structure, street network and management, parking issues and opportunities within the centre.

This information has been reviewed as part of the process for the development of the new AAP options, but is not duplicated in this report. For further information on the original baseline information for the AAP, please see the original Hockley Area Action Plan options consultation report (2009).