Who are we?
The Crouch Valley Coastal Community Team ( CVCCT) is a local partnership consisting of local authorities, district and parish councils from Maldon, Chelmsford and Rochford, working together with a range of volunteers with representation from within the coastal community surrounding the Rivers Crouch and Roach in Essex.
This is the Half Yearly update from our Annual Report to stakeholders.
Vision Statement
The Crouch Valley Coastal Community Team will facilitate and support the growth of the local economy through developing a sustainable visitor offer by concentrating on the river users and associated businesses operating on the land adjoining the rivers.
Success will be an improved tourism offer, a greater and more varied commercial offer for businesses and an improved infrastructure for access to the Rivers Crouch and Roach.
New website
The Vision Refresh Workshop in 2022 highlighted the need to raise the awareness amongst the community of the work that the Coastal Community Team has done and is currently doing
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At the last Steering Committee a discussion took place, that agreed a new name reflecting the Community on both banks of the Rivers Crouch and Roach. The Crouch Valley Coastal Community was created, raising profile of the Coastal Community Team, included changing the name, creating an accessible website for the community brand publicity, websites, maps etc . Thanks to the expertise provided by Maldon DC a new website has been created. Doug MacEwen and Keith Powell have volunteered to share the webmaster role with the Corporate Services secretariat
New Crouch Valley Coastal Community website
New logo
Alongside the new name is a new logo. The Lighthouse logo of the Coastal Community Team was thought better utilised creating a new one,but retaining the Lightouse concept. Our grateful thanks to Leanda and Mike at MDC for creating it. The waves beneath the lighthouse depicts the waters of the Rivers Crouch and Roach. This will now form our brand
King Charles III England Coastal Path
Presentation was made to our footpath team from Darren Braine Senior Adviser Natural England, when he visited us and walked some of the new footpaths.
The following is a summary list of trails ( footpath) approvals:
- Wallasea to Ferry Road Hullbridge - approved 2021
- Ferry Road Hullbridge to Hawks Hill Battlesbridge - approved 6 March 2024
- Hawk Hill Bridge to Clements Green Creek - approved 6 March 2024
- Clements Green Creek to North Fambridge - approved 6 March 2024
- North Fambridge to Burnham on Crouch - approved 6 March 2024
We were shown the detail on maps. ( King Charles III England Coast Path -National Trails) a link to which will be on our new website.
Next steps:-
- Essex County Council to agree to establish the trail as approved
- Return to Parliament for commencement order to start the legal right of access
- ECC to maintain the trail
- Add to OS maps and National Trail website
Feasibility of CVCCT taking on water quality testing?
River Crouch polluted by sewage 247 times in 2023 - lasting 1,513 hours
Cllr David Flack heads the working group on looking at Sewage pollution on the Rivers Crouch and Roach. We know that there are 6 sewage works emptying into the Crouch and Roach. We had a meeting with Anglian Water last year when their Management team made a presentation to our team. Unfortunately the Crouch and Roach waters are not classified as bathing waters so do not qualify for statutory water sampling, although it is measured for shell fish pollution. The CVCCT feel that with the number of swimmers and open boats such as paddle boards, kayaks dinghies using our waters, there should be regular monitoring
At the last Steering Group meeting the CVCCT proposed carrying out its own river monitoring, which is to be looked into.
New walk and footbridge linking Battlesbridge and Wickford communities proposed
Cllr Roy Hart has been researching a new footpath linking Battlesbridge and Wickford and has generously funded plans for a pedestrian bridge crossing over the brook of the Upper Crouch linking two established footpaths Negotiations are presently progressing with the landowners and the ECC
RSPB awarded £4,1500 for new public toilets at Wallasea Island.
The RSPB was awarded £41,500 from Rochford District Council UK SPF for installing a permanent, accessible toilet in the car park, and two new viewing shelters with accessible path. One shelter is a new viewpoint with views over the northern end of Grass Farm Lagoon, and the other, which overlooks Stokes Lagoon, replacing the current one which is in a state of disrepair. They hope to have this work carried out within a year, and are grateful to the awarding grant funders for their support.