(15) 10. Next steps

A series of next steps have been identfied as part of the process for the refinement of the Hockley Area Action Plan spatial options and the progression to a preferred option for the AAP.These are set out below:

Stakeholder engagement

In terms of testing the deliverability of the spatial options and achieving buy-in from key stakeholders, it will be important for stakeholder meetings to be undertaken in refining the options and moving forward to a preferred option. Key stakeholders have been identified as:

• Land owners including the church and Eldon Way property owners;
• Businesses affected by the options, such as retailers on Spa Road;
• Businesses at Eldon Way to better understand the current facilities and requirements for new facilities;
• Members of the Public;
• Rochford District Council environmental services;
• The Primary Care Trust;
• Essex County Council Library services;
• Essex County Council Highways; and
• Local leisure operators, including the operator currently seeking a site for a skate rink.

Review of community consultation feedback on the spatial options

It will be important to take consideration of the views of the local community in amending and refining the draft spatial options for the Area Action Plan and moving forward to a preferred option.

Much valuable information has been collected from previous consultation programmes and it would be useful to draw out the elements from the options are supported and which would benefit from amendments.

Key areas for consideration here will be the uses at Eldon Way and the role of new housing in Hockley.

Sensitivity testing regarding financial viability

The financial appraisals have identified some significant challenges for taking forward the AAP spatial options. This is as a result of the current economic climate and its impact on the property market and the particular uses and density levels which are considered suitable in Hockley.

The AAP spatial options have sought to balance the priorities identified by the local community and the strong opinions on appropriate use and scale in Hockley with measures to improve viability of a scheme through intensification and inclusion of income generating uses -residential development and a small supermarket.

However, the current market conditions are such that the delivery of the more intensive schemes would be challenging in the short term, resulting in lower viability levels for more intensive schemes.

It will be very useful to undertake sensitivity testing on spatial options for the Hockley Area Action Plan in order to identify the key uses and sites which are proving particularly challenging or have the potential to unlock the centre of Hockley.

Development of a preferred option for the Hockley Area Action Plan

Once a review of the feedback from the local community has been undertaken, discussions have been held with key stakeholders who would be involved in taking any of the spatial options forward and sensitivity testing has been undertaken to assess and improve the viability and deliverability of spatial options, a preferred option can be considered and developed for the Area Action Plan.

This might well be a hybrid version of the spatial options for the AAP, which can effectively respond to community concerns and meet viability criteria.

In determining a preferred option, it would be useful to consider the following information, in testing the deliverability of the option:

• Community infrastructure such as medical centres, schools, water and electricity;
• Traffic counts if available and the predicted number of additional cars related to a scheme;
• Remediation requirements for any of the sites, including potential issues relating to the former brickworks and general industrial uses at Eldon Way;
• Updated housing requirements, reflecting the Coalition Government’s steer;
• A review of housing, leisure and employment schemes in the local area which might have an impact on the viability of a scheme in Hockley.