Crouch Valley Coastal Community Steering Group Meeting
Tuesday, 10 September 2024 (Mill Hall, Rayleigh)
Meeting Notes
Present:
Cllr Michael Hoy (Chairperson) (MH) Rochford District Council
Doug MacEwen (Vice Chairman) (DME) Representative of the Boating Community
Accountable Body
Marcus Hotten (Secretariat) (MHo) Rochford District Council
Public Sector
Aimer Finer (AF) Maldon District Council
Gemma Hayns (GH) Rochford District Council
Helen Quinnell (HQ) Chelmsford City Council
Cllr Mrs Jo McPherson (JM) Rochford District Council
Cllr Alan Shearring (AS) South Woodham Ferrers Town Council
Cllr David Flack (DF) Hullbridge Parish Council
Cllr Glen Dryhurst (GD) Ashingdon Parish Council
Business Sector
Robert Brown (RB) Baltic Wharf Distribution
Rachel Fancy (RF) RSPB
Roy Hart (RH) Battlesbridge Business (Skee-Tex)
Independent
Keith Powell (KP)
Andrew St. Joseph (ASJ)
Apologies:
Leanne Brisland (LB) Bird Aware Essex
Ken Wickham (KW) Crouch Harbour Authority
Absent:
Cllr Stephen Stratton (SS) Burnham-on-Crouch Town Council
Dave Record (DR) 3 Chambers (Hockley, Rayleigh & Rochford)
Cllr Mike Halford (MHa) Canewdon Parish Council
Cllr Doug O Bown (DOB) Maldon District Council
Cllr Joe Parsad (JP) Rettendon & Battlesbridge Parish Council
Julie O’Brien (Note Taker) Rochford District Council
21/24 Welcome and Introductions
Cllr Michael Hoy in the Chair.
Introductions were made and a warm welcome extended to both AF and GH who attending for the first time and new members of the group.
22/24 Notes of the Last CVCC Group Meeting Held on 11 June 2024 and Matters Arising
Agreed as an accurate record.
Action points worked through in-turn and updates provided as follows:
12/24 - A meeting between the RCCCT Secretariat (MHo) and Chelmsford City Council was scheduled to convene on 19th September 2024.
12/24 – Voting Rights on the Steering Group was tabled for the agenda today.
13/24 – KP advised that there would be a further development in January with regards to Clayhill Vineyard and the Crouch Valley region being defined.
13/24 – DME confirmed the new CVCC website was now live Post Meeting Note: KP has now sent the log-in details to the Secretariat for emergency back-up purposes
15/24 – RH had continued with proposals to introduce a 1.2m wide footbridge across the river. New discussions captured at minute no. 23/24.
19/24 – Following feedback of the Steering Group on the Costguard Incident Reports format, HM Coastguard confirmed that ‘it is the nature of our data at present in terms of the SAR zone reports.’
Action: LB - Feedback on minute no. 18/24: ‘Steering Group Members to provide LB with the requested information’ (regarding recreational activities on the Rivers Crouch and Roach) - carried forward, owing to absence.
23/24 Working Group Updates
Rights of Way
RH presented professional drawn structural engineer designs for new footbridge proposals to realise a new footpath that links existing footpaths in Wickford with Battlesbridge. This site is near to the existing railway bridge over the nontidal part of the river and will provide a feeder link to the King Charles III Coastal Path.
Essentially, this project leverages the potential of a new path to one side and involves re-routing a path at Southlands Farm - this also to consider any infrastructure changes such as the two stiles already in situ.
AS reminded that, stiles on footpaths need to follow guidance in respect of
accessibility rules etc.
In answer to questions RH advised that:
- Canoes on the water would fit underneath the footbridge dimensions,
- British Rail had not responded to a recent letter about the proposed project,
- He would be offering to fund the project in its entirety, based on the budget he understood was required in-keeping with his design.
The group agreed that the proposals were very promising in principle and has their support, subject to the necessary endorsement required from the Councils and agencies concerned; Basildon Borough Council, Essex County Council (ECC) and the Environment Agency.
See Minute no. 27/24 for resulting Action.
KP reported that, Dale Symonds from Clayhill Vineyard is leading the move for the Crouch Valley to become a ‘designated area’ for vineyards. There will be at least 9 vineyards involved at present, but the entire area north and south of the river will be in the designated area so others within can join if they enjoy the same terroir. It is estimated that this status will be granted in January and upon which this will be publicised on the CVCC
new website.
A winery had been proposed within the Rochford District at Great Wheatley Farm, Rayleigh in 2020 but planning permission for change of use of the buildings required was not approved.
Action: KP to send details to GH
Post meeting note: details of planning application Decision Notice (ref
20/00180/LDC) sent onto GH via Secretariat support.
Vision Refresh
A half-yearly newsletter had been pre-circulated to the group which contained an imbedded link to the new CVCC website: Crouch Valley Coastal Community, Burnham-On-Crouch.
At the suggestion by KP, it was agreed that a Tourism article would be good for the website to promote Council officer representation on the group and to include their contact details. Tourism Officers agreed that their photos would support as a visual aid.
A discussion was held about how to potentially add / signpost to businesses via the new CVCC website – it was good promote as part of walks advertised, by way of example. HQ reminded that the Path to Prosperity project included maps in collaboration with footpaths and used symbols as points of interest along routes that included reference to businesses as part of. It was acknowledged that using Google Maps keeps content up-to-date, thus reducing resource needed to maintain online material.
Action: GH, HQ & AF to send through a photo to KP for featuring on the Tourism webpage article which he would now prepare.
Action: JM to liaise with GH and help promote the new CVCC website to Rochford businesses.
Post meeting note: Link to new CVCC website and half-yearly newsletter added to the existing CVCC webpage on the Rochford District Council site.
Pollution
DF confirmed that water samples to be taken and sent to Essex University for studies. The tidal crouch provides issues with testing due to the type of equipment required and timing to capture readings that reflect a more accurate volume. Pollution would likely be more acute at lower tide when the high-tide had not helped flush out sewage.
Action: DF to send across the costs of water sampling test kits to MH to explore potential help with funding.
A meeting of the Pollution Working Group would be convened once testing results data from Fen Creek ready for discussion.
24/24 Update on:
Latest Stretch of Wallasea to Burnham Coastal Path (WIB2-5) –
Establishment Works
The group noted that, Darren Braine, Natural England confirms no progress to report at this time.
Feedback from Cllr Cunningham, ECC captured at minute no. 23/24 above.
Coastal Footpath – Hullbridge Repairs Update
DF reported that obstructions remained along the footpath.
There was a seawall issue by the Anchor pub.
A recent site visit had taken place at which Anglian Water had been present and, as part of, looked at the Rayleigh Road pumping station following a recent sewage spillage concern.
Action: MH to follow-up concerns with Cllr Wilson, Rochford District Councillor for the Hullbridge Ward.
Action: MHo to arrange for an admin update to the rep against ‘Hullbridge Repairs’ CVCC Steering Group agenda item.
Post meeting note: agenda template corrected to show DF
25/24 RSPB Wallasea Island - Latest Developments
RF reported that the new toilets build was in-progress.
No remedial works had commenced on the broken Environment Agency sluice, but these were expected imminently (as overdue) and any news awaited. The badger sett works and seawall repairs were scheduled to follow thereafter.
Action: RF to send over weblinks for the Wallasea walks to KP.
Post meeting note: RF has since found out that a temporary repair has been carried out to the sluice and so it is now functioning as it should.
26/24 Essex Coast RAMS (Bird Aware) Update
Item deferred, owing to absence.
27/24 Email from Cllr Tom Cunningham, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport, Essex County Council
a. King Charles III Coastal Path – Establish the Wallasea Island to Burnham-on-Crouch section
The group considered the updated provided, stating that the grant application for works to commence was being finalised. Whilst thankful for an update, disappointment was expressed that this part of the Coastal Path did appear to be a long process. It would be beneficial to have an ongoing dialogue with ECC to understand the split of responsibility and funding between themselves and Anglian Water.
b. Identify future projects promoting the coastal paths or linking communities to them
New Footbridge proposals, as captured at minute no. 23/24 - The group agreed to write to Cllr Cunningham again to tie-in this work with the ongoing discussion topic of King Charles III Coastal Path.
Action: DME to send draft wording to the Secretariat for this to be finalised, signed off by Cllr Hoy as Chair of the CVCC and sent to Cllr Cunningham, ECC at the earliest opportunity.
Post meeting note: Letter sent to Cllr Cunningham on 25th September 2024. Response forwarded on to the Steering Group via email.
c. Potential involvement with the National Trails website
Noted.
28/24 Review Voting Rights of the CVCC Steering Group
This was an action from the last meeting that MHo had taken away. It was agreed that updates to be made would need to be confirmed at the November Annual General Meeting (AGM), as a matter of procedure.
Action: MHo to arrange for Andrew St Joseph to be updated on CVCC Terms of Reference with a business seat, representing the East Coast Organisation on the Steering Group and item added to AGM agenda. Post meeting note: records updated in preparation for the AGM
29/24 HM Coastguard Incident Data Reports, 1 January to 31 July 2024
The Steering Group noted the report contents circulated.
30/24 Large Hole in Sea Wall at South Woodham Ferrers
DME was pleased to confirm that that the sea wall repair was being actioned by the Environmental Agency, but no timescales for works had yet been given.
The group noted that the defect first appeared in 2018 and a deterioration was disappointing over the years and especially now the situation had worsened with the October high-tide season fast approaching.
Due to the risk of flooding, the group agreed that there was merit in adding this item to the CVCC new website, so long as it was updated accurately and timely with any developments.
Action: DME to add this collapse of seawall item to the new CVCC website.
Post meeting note: Article added to website, as at the following link – Hole in the Sea Wall - Crouch Valley Coastal Community - Crouch Valley Coastal Community, Burnham-On-Crouch
Action: MHo to explore who is in the resilience team at Rochford District Council to follow-up concerns with.
31/24 Date of Next meeting
The Steering Group agreed that their next meeting in November would take place on the same date as the AGM, at 13:00.
AGM = Tuesday, 19 November 2024 commencing at 14:00
The meeting started at 14:00 and ended 15:26