(3) Policy ELA1 – Local Wildlife Sites

Context:

Local Wildlife Sites are areas that are not designated under national or international statutory protection, but are considered to be of significant wildlife value. They were previously known as Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation and County Wildlife Sites. Alongside statutory protected areas, Local Wildlife Sites represent the minimum habitat we need to protect in order to maintain the current wildlife levels in Essex.

There are 39 areas in the District that have been identified as being suitable for designation as Local Wildlife Sites in the 2007 Local Wildlife Sites Review against current Local Wildlife Site selection criteria. The results of this assessment are detailed within the 2007 Review. The Local Wildlife Sites are mostly woodland, but also comprise areas of grassland, mosaic, coastal and freshwater habitats.

The largest of the all the Local Wildlife Sites is the Wallasea Island Managed

Realignment area, which covers an area of 90.3 hectares. Other significant Local Wildlife Sites include Magnolia Nature Reserve and Fields to the west of Ashingdon (29.2 hectares) and Wakering Landfill Site to the north east of Great Wakering (24 hectares).

The location of the Local Wildlife Sites as identified by the 2007 Local Wildlife Sites Review are shown in Figure 24.

Map:

Figure 24: Local Wildlife Sites

(1) Policy ELA2 – Coastal Protection Belt

Context:

The extent of the area where the open and undeveloped coastline of Essex will be protected was initially defined at the regional level in the 1984 Coastal Protection Subject Plan as detailed within the Core Strategy. This was also supported through the adoption of the 2001 Essex and Southend-on-Sea Replacement Structure Plan, as well as the 2006 Replacement Local Plan.

The Council’s approach to managing development within the Coastal Protection Belt is set out in Policy ENV2 of the Core Strategy. It will protect and enhance the existing qualities of the coastline, take into consideration climate change and sea level rise, whilst not permitting any development in areas that are at risk from flooding, erosion and land instability and ensuring that exceptionally permitted development will not have adverse impacts on the open and rural character, historic features and wildlife of the coast, and must be within already developed areas.

Parts of the areas identified in Policy SER6 to the south west of Hullbridge and Policy SER7 to the south of Canewdon are situated in the Coastal Protection Belt. As such a small amendment to the Coastal Protection Belt designation in this location is required.

The open and undeveloped Coastal Protection Belt identified within Figure 25 will be protected and enhanced in accordance with Policy ENV2 of the Core Strategy.

Map:

Figure 25: The Coastal Protection Belt

(1) Policy ELA3 – Upper Roach Valley

Context:

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 Essex and Southend-on-Sea Replacement Structure Plans and the 2005 Thames Gateway South Essex Green Grid Strategy.

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.

Cherry Orchard Jubilee Country Park is situated within the Upper Roach Valley. The Upper Roach Valley is a large ‘green lung’ bounded by the towns of Rayleigh, Hockley, Rochford and Southend. This area was designated in the 2006 Rochford District Replacement Local Plan as a Special Landscape Area and as an Area of Ancient Landscape. The Upper Roach Valley has important landscape characteristics which deserve continued recognition.

Seven of the fourteen ancient woodlands found in the District, including Hockley Woods, lie within the Upper Roach Valley and there are also a number of Local Wildlife Sites (see Policy ELA1) situated within its boundaries. Policy URV1 of the Core Strategy supports the recognition of the Upper Roach Valley as a vast ‘green lung’ within the District and as an area providing informal recreation opportunities for local residents. The designation of this area presents opportunities for enhancing access to this potentially substantial recreational resource.

The Core Strategy states that the Upper Roach Valley will be protected from development which would undermine the area’s role as a green space providing informal recreational opportunities. It also supports the expansion of Cherry Orchard Jubilee Country Park and the creation of links with other parts of the Upper Roach Valley.

The area allocated as the Upper Roach Valley is illustrated in Figure 26. The Upper Roach Valley will be protected and enhanced in accordance with Policy URV1 of the Core Strategy.

Map:

Figure 26: The Upper Roach Valley