(2) 3. A framework for a better Rochford

3.1 What makes for a sustainable Rochford?

Rochford is an established town and a sustainable location for homes, shops, jobs, leisure and other services and facilities. The AAP seeks to ensure that a positive planning policy framework that protects this function is put in place. It recognises that sustainable development must be delivered in a joined-up fashion, with economic, social and environmental benefits being sought concurrently. In this context, the following factors are considered important:

Provision of an attractive town centre for local people and visitors – Rochford has good local retail offer, in line with its position as a small market town. This should be enhanced through the encouragement of more supporting uses, including restaurants, cafés, and bars, and other leisure uses and community facilities, including those for young people.

Excellent public realm and historic fabric – Rochford town centre’s historic fabric is very well preserved and there are a number of attractive places, spaces and buildings. The existing strong character of the town should be further enhanced, with a focus on creating an environment in Market Square that attracts visitors.

Local employment opportunities – Rochford town centre has a relatively good stock of offices, which provide employment opportunities for the local population. The retention of these offices should be promoted.

A high quality natural environment – Rochford benefits from being surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt, which prevents urban sprawl, but also allows local people access to significant areas of high quality, open space. This open space should be safeguarded through the efficient use of previously developed sites within the settlement’s existing boundaries.

Good accessibility – Rochford retains much of its historic street pattern and development in the town centre tends to be of a fine grain. However, there are some areas that are not very permeable, due to more recent developments and interventions. Improvements should be made to existing links, and new links created, to help make the town centre more accessible; in particular, access to the rail station should be improved. Traffic calming would help traffic flow, enhance bus services and encourage cycling.

The AAP is a planning policy document that, primarily, seeks to assist in the management of changes and developments in Rochford town centre. Therefore, whilst its remit is limited, its reach is wide. Alongside the Core Strategy and other key policy documents, the AAP will help to attract and encourage new investment and co-ordinate change.

3.2 Vision and objectives

The AAP sets a vision for the town’s future based on an understanding of the unique context that drives change and development in Rochford. It translates this vision into implementation objectives, policies and guidance that will act as a robust framework for delivery.

The vision for Rochford is:

Rochford will develop its existing strengths as a small and attractive historic market town serving the needs of its local population and visitors. By 2026, the town centre offer will be more mixed, and will include a greater diversity of town centre uses, such as restaurants, cafés, and bars, leisure uses and community facilities, whilst retaining its existing office stock. Environmental enhancements and new development will improve key spaces, build on the town’s historic character and make better use of unused or unattractive sites. Improvements to existing routes and the addition of new links will make the town more permeable and make travel by all modes of transport easier.

The five key objectives that support this vision and are vital in its delivery are to:

1) Provide a diverse range of uses, activities and facilities for local people

Rochford contains a good local retail offer, which is appropriate given its status as a small market town. The overall mix should be enhanced through a more flexible approach towards uses that would help to create a café culture and strengthen the evening economy, such as coffee shops, bars, restaurants and leisure uses.

2) Enhance the historic core

Rochford town centre benefits from an abundance of attractive and distinctive historic buildings and still retains some of its medieval street pattern. However, there are opportunities for carefully targeted improvements. The Market Square, in particular, could benefit from public realm enhancements and improvements to some of the surrounding buildings. This could help to attract visitors and strengthen the economic vitality of this primary retail area.

3) Improve accessibility for all

The Rochford Hospital estate and its proximity to the town centre has resulted in poor north-south or east-west links across the town centre. There are places where new routes could be opened up and footfall increased, which could bring new life to existing underused routes. There is also scope to create linkages across Bradley Way and improve accessibility between the rail station and town centre and the public open space beyond.

4) Protect local employment

Rochford town centre provides local employment through the provision of office space. The offices on Locks Hill should be retained in their current use.

5) Promote the redevelopment of unused, underused, infill or unattractive sites

There are a number of unused, underused, infill or unattractive sites within Rochford’s existing town centre that may be available for redevelopment or reuse. These sites should be developed or converted for uses that support the function of the town centre; any new buildings should be of the highest standard of design.

Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. This copy is believed to be correct. Nevertheless Rochford District Council can accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions, changes in the details given or for any expense or loss thereby caused. Rochford District Council Licence No. 100018109

(1) Figure 6 – Rochford AAP framework plan

3.3 Arriving at a framework

Research to establish an appreciation of Rochford’s context and conditions was undertaken during the preparation of the 2009 Issues & Options paper which was prepared to inform the AAP. Changes have however taken place which affect the town’s current conditions. It is important for the AAP to take account of these changes, which include:

• A tougher economic climate – the current economic climate is significantly more challenging than it was at the beginning of the AAP process.

• New developments – some of the sites previously considered through the AAP process have either been recently developed or are currently being developed. These include the provision of a new Sainsbury’s food store between the town centre and the railway station and the development of new employment floorspace on land adjacent to the town’s main car park.

Following the January 2013 consultation, the Council considered all feedback received and refined the preferred development framework further. The AAP sets out a framework that responds to the contextual changes and previous stages of analysis and consultation.

Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. This copy is believed to be correct. Nevertheless Rochford District Council can accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions, changes in the details given or for any expense or loss thereby caused. Rochford District Council Licence No. 100018109

Figure 7 – Rochford AAP movement framework plan

Figure 6 presents an overview of the framework for Rochford town centre and provides a broad indication of where development and change should take place.

The creation of a sustainable Rochford, which maintains its role serving the retail and commercial needs of the local population, will be dependent on the emergence of high quality proposals for an improved Market Square, enhanced connections with nearby and adjoining areas, and an improved public realm. The development of new supporting uses and protection and extension of existing office uses will also be important.

The AAP sets out further policies that provide guidance for new high quality development in accordance with this vision and objectives for Rochford and the AAP framework for the town. These policies are based around an understanding of the centre’s character areas and seek to build on Rochford’s existing local character.

3.4 The movement framework

The movement framework outlined in Figure 7 identifies a series of key junctions throughout Rochford which would benefit from investment and improvement. The Council will continue to work with Essex County Council to agree the priorities for these improvements and more fully assess the issues they present and opportunities available to address them.

Table 1 below provides an overview of these improvements and a headline estimate of the resources this might require.

Table 1 – Major environmental improvements and highways schemes

Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. This copy is believed to be correct. Nevertheless Rochford District Council can accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions, changes in the details given or for any expense or loss thereby caused. Rochford District Council Licence No. 100018109

(4) Figure 8– Rochford AAP proposals map