Core Strategy Preferred Options document - Amazon Web Services
Core Strategy Preferred Options document - Amazon Web Services
Core Strategy Preferred Options document - Amazon Web Services
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Strategies, Activities and Actions - Upper Roach Valley and Wallasea<br />
Island<br />
The Vision: In five<br />
years....<br />
Cherry Orchard<br />
Jubilee Country Park<br />
has been expanded to<br />
the east and west and<br />
access from Cherry<br />
Orchard link road,<br />
including improved<br />
footpath and cycle<br />
access has been<br />
implemented.<br />
We have supported<br />
the RSPB in securing<br />
the Wallasea Island<br />
wetlands project for<br />
bird watching and<br />
other recreation.<br />
The Vision: By<br />
2017...<br />
The Roach Valley is a<br />
vast ‘green lung’<br />
surrounded by<br />
Southend, Rayleigh,<br />
Hockley and Rochford<br />
and provides a<br />
substantial informal<br />
area of recreation, with<br />
green links between<br />
Cherry Orchard<br />
Country Park and<br />
Hockley Woods.<br />
The Upper Roach Valley and Wallasea Island<br />
Upper Roach Valley<br />
The Upper Roach Valley, including the area around Hockley Woods, is<br />
an area with special landscape characteristics. In the Rochford District<br />
Replacement Local Plan (2006) the area is designated as a Special<br />
Landscape Area and as an Area of Ancient Landscape. These<br />
designations arose from survey work carried out by Essex County<br />
Council.<br />
There are fourteen ancient woodlands in the District and seven of them<br />
lie within the Upper Roach Valley, south of the head of the valley formed<br />
by the railway line. The area importance to biodiversity is reflected in the<br />
designation of a number of wildlife sites within the Upper Roach Valley.<br />
The Upper Roach Valley is a large ‘green lung’ bounded by Rayleigh,<br />
Hockley, Rochford and Southend. As such, it represents an opportunity<br />
to provide informal recreational space accessible to local residents. Parts<br />
of the Upper Roach Valley are already well utilised, such as Hockley<br />
Woods and the recently established Cherry Orchard Jubilee Country<br />
Park.<br />
The need for more informal recreational space in South East Essex has<br />
been identified on numerous occasions over a number of years, including<br />
in the 1982 and 2001 Structure Plans and the 2005 Thames Gateway<br />
South Essex Greengrid <strong>Strategy</strong>.<br />
We have sought to help address this need through the establishment of<br />
Cherry Orchard Jubilee Country Park. Work began on the Country Park<br />
in 2002 and the park has been gradually expanded. Our approach to the<br />
Country Park is centred on ensuring the right conditions are in place in<br />
order for fauna and flora to flourish, and utilising the existing features of<br />
the landscape, all with the minimum of human interference.<br />
We are carrying out works to improve access to the Country Park and are<br />
currently looking at providing car-parking facilities in a manner that<br />
minimises the impact on the landscape.<br />
To the north-west of the Country Park lies Hockley Woods - and to the<br />
south-west of Hockley Woods is an area designated as a special and<br />
historic landscape area. Currently these areas are not connected, but<br />
there is potential to do so to enhance informal recreational opportunities.<br />
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