Attendees
Doug MacEwen (Vice Chairman) (DME) - Independent
Accountable Body
Marcus Hotten (Secretariat) (MHo) - Rochford District Council
Cllr Michael Hoy (MH) - Elected Councillor, Rochford District Council
Cllr Jo McPherson (JM) - Elected Councillor, Rochford District Council
Public Sector
Leanne Brisland (LB) - Bird Aware Essex
Alexis Corless (AC) - Maldon District Council
Cllr Glen Dryhurst (GD) - Ashingdon Parish Council
Helen Quinnell - Chelmsford City Council
Cllr Alan Shearring (AS) - South Woodham Ferrers Town Council
Cllr Stephen Stratton - Burnham-on-Crouch Town Council
Chloe Turner (CT) - Chelmsford City Council
Cllr Paul White (PW) - Hullbridge Parish Council
Business Sector
Robert Brown (RB) - Baltic Distribution Ltd.
Rachel Fancy (RF) - RSPB
Roy Hart (RH) - Battlesbridge Business (Skee-Tex)
Maritime Sector
Ken Wickham (KW) - Crouch Harbour Authority
Independent
Keith Powell (KP)
Andrew St. Joseph (ASJ) - Rep of Essex Coastal Land Owners
Apologies:
Paula Chapman (PC) - Rochford District Council
Cllr Joe Parsad (JP) - Rettendon & Battlesbridge Parish Council
Absent:
Cllr Doug O Bown -- Maldon District Council
Cllr Mike Halford - Canewdon Parish Council
Dave Record - 3 Chambers
Note taker
Julie Jakes - Rochford District Council (Note Taker)
Welcome and Introductions
01/23
MH welcomed all and introductions were made.
Apologies received were noted.
Appointment of Chairperson
02/23
JM nominated Cllr Michael Hoy as Chairperson and this was agreed by the Steering Group.
Notes of the Last RCCCT Steering Group Meeting Held on 22 November 2022 and Matters Arising
03/23
KP advised that he is no longer leading on the Footpath Group and that GD is now the lead as per today’s Agenda.
Minute 38/22, Essex Coast RAMS (Bird Aware) Update – AS advised that he has not yet met with LB to discuss potential opportunities, but both agreed that they would still like a discussion to take place.
Action: AS and LB to discuss potential opportunities in due course.
Subject to the above, the notes were agreed as an accurate record.
Working Group Updates
04/23
As there were a number of similar footpath items on the Agenda, MHo suggested merging these items and this was agreed by the Steering Group.
Footpaths
GD noted that the River Roach appears to have been forgotten. KW advised that when the original River Crouch Coastal Community Team was formed, the Group was told that its remit did not include the River Roach.
Coast to Coast Path – restoring the old disused railway from South Woodham Ferrers to Maldon West. It was noted that two-thirds of this railway was in our area and the remaining one-third was within the Blackwater area. ASJ advised that only half of the route was a public right of way, so funding would be required. KP reported that no-one appears to know the ownership of one-third of the land. He advised that Essex County Council had been approached, but had refused to help. KW had also been attempting to identify land owners and had written to
local farmers and various groups, but no-one was willing to give any further information. MHo advised that he could possibly contact the Land Registry and GD agreed to provide him with the necessary route details.
Action: GD to provide MHo with route details. MHo to contact the Land Registry in an attempt to ascertain land ownership.
AS reported that there was a brand new development in South Woodham Ferrers that would take in the bottom line of the railway. It would therefore be necessary to talk to the developer to see if they could build the new footpath into their development. He went on to say that every Council calls for development sites, so there was a good chance that the whole area would go to houses.
It was suggested that the Footpath Working Group be reformed and this was agreed. The reformed group would be a task and finish group to gather information and work on feasibility, etc.
Action: Reform the Footpath Working Group as a task and finish group. Initial membership to comprise GD, PW, KP and ASJ.
Water Safety at Hullbridge
MHo advised that he was not aware of any further progress.
Vision Refresh
DME reported that in March 2022, members of the Steering Group had attended a workshop at the Rayleigh Club. The conclusion from this workshop was that no-one had heard of the River Crouch. He suggested setting up a small task and finish working group that would look at how we can drive up awareness of the River Crouch Coastal Community Team and the things that we are trying to achieve.
The Steering Group agreed that this would be useful. Membership to comprise DME, GD, LB, AC, MH, JM and SS. DME agreed to make contact with everyone in due course.
Action: DME to set up a task and finish Vision Refresh Working Group as detailed above.
Post meeting note:
- The Vision Refresh Working Group was originally formed in June 2022 and their inaugural meeting took place in September 2022 – details of which were included within the 2021/22 Annual Report.
- HQ has requested to join the Vision Refresh Working Group.
Public Space Protection Order (PSPO)
It was noted that the local Chief Inspector of Essex Police was not supporting this Order because the problems were mainly seasonal and there had not been any issues recently.
KW advised that the Crouch Harbour Authority (CHA) had spent considerable time and effort on this matter and had booked a few river users who did not have licences. The Police have to prosecute and have assisted the CHA as and when they have been asked. It was noted that people are now coming from Southend, through the Havengore into the backwater of the River Roach and then into the River Crouch.
LB reported that jet skis have been a consistent issue around the coast, especially during the summer months. She was making contact with key organisations to see if there was something that could be done that works well. ASJ suggested that this should also link in with Maldon District Council.
Update on:
05/23
Proposal for latest stretch of Wallasea to Burnham Coastal Path – update provided by Natural England
The Steering Group noted the update provided by Natural England.
Path to Prosperity Project
HQ reminded the Steering Group that, as part of this project, funding had been received from Essex County Council. A number of information boards, which incorporated some walks, had been installed on the river front. It was noted that there was one more board to be installed, but there were some issues with part of the path for that walk and the information board. These issues would need to be addressed before the board could be installed.
AC reported that although the project had technically ended, she had become aware of an underspend. Maldon District Council’s Tourism Group had submitted a successful bid to host a walking festival right across the District. This festival was now going to take place on an annual basis and it would be good if the Steering Group could become involved as a legacy to the Path to Prosperity Project.
In response to a question from JM, HQ advised that the walking maps are downloadable via the Go Jauntly App. There are also scannable QR codes on the newly installed noticeboards.
ASJ drew attention to the quality of footpath surfaces and advised that some people were very surprised when they came back covered in mud. He stated that if we want visitors to return to walk these paths, then they must be maintained. In theory, there should be funding available for maintenance from Natural England and Essex County Council. It was noted that materials had arrived from Essex County Council, but manpower was required to carry out the necessary work.
LB advised that she had taken over the Path to Prosperity people counters. There were two located on the River Crouch, one at South Woodham Ferrer and one at Hullbridge. It was agreed that the data from these counters should be shared with the reformed Footpath Working Group.
Action: LB to share the data from the people counters with the Footpath Working Group.
RH advised that he had walked the footpath down towards The Dome with GD. The footpath needs to be more defined, with a few clear pointer signs. MH confirmed that due to the seawall breach, the footpath no longer goes anywhere and it was noted that the bridge that had been manufactured in 2015 was sitting in a nearby field. There was also some footpath erosion between the slipway and the recreation field in Hullbridge.
Coastal Footpath – Hullbridge Repairs Update
PW had located a government document that mentioned coastal erosion, park homes along the river, etc. and it would appear that there was significant funding available, but there was a need to identify someone who could put forward a case and complete the necessary forms. It was agreed that, initially, the Vision Refresh Working Group should investigate this opportunity and bring a proposal back to the Steering Group. MH reminded the Steering Group that they could also lobby Essex County Councillors.
PW mentioned the risk of the Rawreth Brook flooding and that the embankment needs increasing. The Rawreth area is lower, so the risk of flooding is greater. MH suggested referring this matter to the new Flood Forum Group at Rochford District Council and this was agreed by the Steering Group.
Action: MH to refer the Rawreth Brook flooding issue to Rochford District Council’s Flood Forum Group.
RH advised that when walking the footpath from Hullbridge to Battlesbridge, you come onto a road that can be quite dangerous due to bushes and a sharp bend. He is prepared to put up a fence, just inside the road, to create a new footpath. It was agreed that this proposal should be referred to the Footpath Working Group.
Action: The Footpath Working Group to investigate forming a new footpath in the Battlesbridge location.
Ideas for New Projects
06/23
Quick Wins
As some quick wins had already been discussed, i.e. installation of the new noticeboards, it was agreed that further quick wins should be brought forward, in due course, from the two task and finish groups.
Longer Term
New Footpath from Wickford to Bradwell – RH reported that he had mapped out a new footpath, which does not go over any railway lines. He advised that the developer of the new solar farm had offered to install a bridge that would be required, possibly via a Section 106 Agreement. AC suggested that the first point of call should be a discussion with Roy Read (Footpath Officer at Essex County Council) as new footpaths needed to reach a certain specification. It was noted that any new footpath would also need to be adopted and maintained.
KP expressed concern about the value of the Steering Group and, due to the lack of funds, what it could hope to achieve in the future. He drew attention to the King Charles III Coastal Path which had been with the Secretary of State for several years, with no progress being made.
AC agreed that the Group does need to rethink what it wants to achieve, but footpaths are great for tourism and, going forward, she was hoping for some real outputs. She went on to say that Coastal Community Teams are wider than just footpaths and should be aiming big, bidding for funding and coming up with projects that can be delivered as a Group.
AS stated that it was disappointing that there was no money, but getting people out of their cars and away from the television was good for their mental health and wellbeing. Need to look at what we can do with what is available to us.
HQ agreed that the Steering Group did need to agree some objectives. It is one thing to promote the lovely area along the River Crouch, but must do that in a responsible way and this Group brings together all the necessary knowledge and information.
MH suggested that the Group should consider submitting a bid to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, but advised that Rochford District Council had no resources to assist. It was noted that a lot of money from this fund had already gone to The Thames, but much smaller bids could also be successful.
It was agreed that the Vision Refresh Working Group should look to identify projects, up to a value of £2K, where a bid to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund might be successful.
Action: The Vision Refresh Working Group to identify suitable projects that would fall under the criteria of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
MH suggested that if there was an appetite for closing the River Crouch Coastal Community Team, then this should be raised at the AGM in November.
RSPB Wallasea Island - Latest Developments
07/23
RF reported that two planning applications have been submitted to Rochford Council. One had been approved to install a proper public convenience, rather than a porta loo. Now looking for the necessary funding and open to any suggestions. The second application is to improve the visitor shelters and extend the screening bund. Going to put
this into a funding bid for the new public conveniences to make it more enticing.
It was noted that the visitor counters had stopped working at some point in the last six months, so unable to retrieve any data.
RF queried what was happening with the biodiversity net gains of the new developments in Rochford and the surrounding area. MH advised that he was the Lead Member for Climate at Rochford District Council. Unfortunately, training had been delayed and was now happening in March 2024, but it might be possible to put more about biodiversity net gains into the Council’s Local Plan. MH and RF to discuss further outside the meeting. MH to also arrange an introduction to Cllr Julie Gooding, the Lead Member for Tourism at Rochford District Council.
Action: MH and RF to discuss biodiversity net gains outside of the meeting. MH to arrange for RF to be introduced to Cllr Julie Gooding.
In response to a question from GD, RF gave details of the different birds that have been seen at the site and advised that no Section 106 monies had been made available to the RSPB.
Essex Coast RAMS (Bird Aware) Update
08/23
LB reported that she was now down to one Ranger, but the Team had now grown to four covering all 450 miles of the Essex coast. The Group noted that CT was the Ranger that covered the River Crouch area.
The Team had spent the summer focussing on beach nesting birds and making sure that they did not get disturbed. The over wintering birds were now coming back and the Team have now started engaging with
people. Would be running the Great Coastal Bird Watch, which was a good engagement tool to make people aware of the birds. Had also attended a volunteers’ day at South Woodham Ferrers.
Going forward, a visitors’ survey would be launched in due course. Natural England has assisted with this process. Continuing to join up with other Local Authorities and Parish Councils. Potentially looking at a mitigation package, as not rewriting the strategy. A working party had been set up for this purpose and the remit is to give people more
knowledge, protect the birds and have a presence at key sites in Essex.
Have tried to engage with paddleboarders using a positive rather than a prohibitive approach. Looking to deal with jet skis separately.
MH reported that the birds noticeboard in Hullbridge was outdated. LB advised that a small amount of money had been allocated for signs and the Rangers are currently collecting information about what signage is out on the coast.
RH to organise a walk from his office that would take place in approximately 2 weeks time.
Vineyards and Wine Production within our Coastal Community
09/23
GD reported that he had carried out a survey and estimated that there was approximately 700 acres of vineyards in the Maldon District. MH advised that there was also a vineyard in Rawreth. It was noted that 6 of the vineyards had visitor centres.
AC advised that in terms of growth for vineyards, the area is so good that the French are buying up land, as it is outperforming their own vineyards. A vineyard takes a number of years to establish and can then lead on to
a visitor centre. The vineyards collectively work together quite well and AC works closely with them, a good example of this collaboration is the Grape and Grain Trail. This is definitely a growth area and, going
forward, there will be opportunities to work together and this Group should be a part of that.
It was noted that the wine from a number of the vineyards goes directly to London because it is such good quality.
Maritime Activities and Employment in our Coastal Community
10/23
GD was keen to investigate whether there was anything the Group could do to promote employment within the boating industry. KW advised that the nearest boat chandler was located on Canvey Island. Some years ago, the Small Business Federation met with Maldon District Council to look at starting apprenticeships in the marine industry but, at the time, it was thought that this wasn’t a skill that could be developed.
HQ reported that she runs a Skills Festival for secondary schools in Chelmsford aimed at Year 8 students. It is an activity-based festival and businesses come to demonstrate their industry. She advised that she would be very happy to receive contact details for any boat builders, etc. that would like to come along to the Festival.
The Group noted that Jim Diamond runs his own very successful apprenticeship scheme in Maldon and there were also several national schemes. Baltic Distribution Limited is also one of the biggest wharf employers in the area.
The Steering Group noted that although there are several large marinas in the area, none of them were represented on this group. Approaches have been made, but they have never wanted to take part.
Annual Review of RCCCT Terms of Reference
11/23
MHo asked if there were any urgent issues with regard to the Terms of Reference and suggested that the Group consider the document and send their comments via email.
KP noted that the composition of the Group had very little representation from businesses within the area. Whilst looking at the Terms of Reference, should be encouraging the business groups to send representatives along. Essex Marina is listed on Appendix 1, so we should make some effort to include them in these discussions. MH
agreed and suggested that the onus is on everyone to encourage representatives to join these meetings.
Action: Steering Group Members to encourage business representatives to attend these meetings.
Date of Next Meeting
12/23
The Group discussed the March date options and agreed on Monday 11 March 2024 at 10 am. Venue to be agreed.
It was noted that the Annual General Meeting will take place on Tuesday, 21 November 2023 at 10 am. The venue is The Pavilion at the Rayleigh Town Council offices. The Steering Group would not be meeting on this date.
Post meeting note: start time of meeting confirmed as 2pm
Action: JJ to confirm the March 2024 meeting arrangements via calendar invite.
The meeting started at 3.30 pm and ended at 5.00 pm.
Action: JJ to confirm the March 2024 meeting arrangements via calendar invite.