Core Strategy Preferred Options document - Amazon Web Services

Characteristics, Issues and Opportunities
Issues and Opportunities
Within the District there are four tiers of settlement. The first tier comprises
Rayleigh, Rochford and Hockley. These are all settlements with a range of
services and facilities as well as some access to public transport.
Of the first tier settlements, Rayleigh is the only one which is classed as a
principal town centre. Rayleigh also has the best access to services within
the District. Rochford and Hockley contain local town centres catering for local
need.
The second tier comprises Hullbridge and Great Wakering. These settlements
have a more limited range of services and access to public transport is
relatively poor.
The third tier is made up of the small rural settlement of Canewdon. This
settlement has few services and public transport provision is generally poor.
The remaining rural settlements, groups of dwellings located within the Green
Belt, can be grouped together as a fourth tier. These settlements have little or
no services and residents are often completely dependent on the private car
to access facilities.
The District’s towns and villages are diverse in character reflecting their
history, location and size. The character, layout and form of groups of
buildings, streets and spaces make a significant contribution to providing a
sense of place and adding to the quality of life in town and country. Residents
have a strong sense of identity with their own settlement.
The District contains three town centres but there is a significant amount of
leakage of spending to locations outside of the District, in particular to
Southend. There is data, however, that suggests that an increasingly
significant proportion of the District’s spending is being retained in Rayleigh.
Further details on the character of the District are included within the annual
Strategic Environmental Assessment Baseline Information Profile.
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