River Crouch Coastal Community Team Annual General Meeting
Tuesday, 21 November 2023
(The Pavilion, Rayleigh Town Council)
Meeting Notes
Present:
Cllr Michael Hoy (Chairman) (MH) - Rochford District Council
Doug MacEwen (Vice Chairman) (DME) - Maritime Sector – Heads of the River Combined Clubs Committee
Accountable Body
Marcus Hotten (Secretariat) (MHo) - Rochford District Council
Julie O’Brien (Note Taker) - Rochford District Council
Public Sector
Helen Quinnell (HQ) - Chelmsford City Council
Cllr Mrs Jo McPherson (JMcP) - Rochford District Council
Cllr Glen Dryhurst (GD) - Ashingdon Parish Council
Cllr Alan Shearring (AS) - South Woodham Ferrers Town Council
Cllr David Flack (DF) - Hullbridge Parish Council
Business Sector
Roy Hart (RH) - Battlesbridge Business (Skee-Tex)
Maritime Sector
Ken Wickham (KW) - Crouch Harbour Authority
Independent
Keith Powell (KP)
Apologies:
Paula Chapman - Rochford District Council
Alexis Corless - Maldon District Council
Cllr Jo Parsad - Rettendon Parish Council
Cllr Stephen Stratton - Burnham-on-Crouch Town Council
Darren Braine - Natural England
Andrew St Joseph - Representative for coastal land owners
Rachel Fancy - RSPB
Absent:
Dave Record - 3 Chambers (Hockley, Rayleigh & Rochford)
Robert Brown - Baltic Distribution Ltd.
Cllr Doug O Bown - Maldon District Council
Leanne Brisland - (LB) Bird Aware Essex
Cllr Mike Halford - Canewdon Parish Council
13/23 Welcome and Introductions
MHo welcomed all and introductions were made.
Apologies received were noted.
14/23 Appointment of Chair and Vice-Chair
JMcP nominated MH as Chairperson and this was agreed unanimously by a show of hands.
GD nominated DME to stand again as Vice-Chairperson which was agreed unanimously by a show of hands.
Both MH and DME were thankful and happy to accept their roles.
Action: Chair & Vice-Chair roles to be filled for the forthcoming year, with immediate effect, as agreed by the Group (MH, DME)
15/23 Appointment of the Accountable Body
The RCCCT was originally born out of a 3-way local authorities partnership between Maldon District Council, Rochford District Council and Chelmsford City Council.
MHo reminded that Rochford District Council had been the Accountable Body since 2019, Prior to this Maldon District Council had held the responsibility.
HQ confirmed that she was due to speak with Cllr Fuller at Chelmsford City Council, as Portfolio Holder, about the RCCCT Accountable Body role being taken ownership for and transferring responsibility from RDC. The group appreciated that any potential change may not occur until May/June 2024, post elections - this also recognising that RDC took over during the month of June at the time they did.
RDC to retain the Accountable Body role at this time.
Action: HQ to discuss the opportunity for Chelmsford City Council to takeover the Accountable Body role with their Elected Members and report back to the RCCCT SG. MHo available for support, as required.
16/23 Notes of the Last RCCCT AGM held on 22 November 2022 and Matters Arising
The notes were agreed as a correct record.
Matters arising:
- Min 47/22 –
- DME confirmed that the residual funds attributed from the Path to Prosperity Project remain untouched - £1,498 (as confirmed in the RCCCT Annual report for Nov 2022 – Nov 2023)
- DME confirmed that a meeting of the Vison Refresh Working Group was scheduled for this Friday, 24th November – other members of the RCCCT were welcome to also attend.
- Footpaths Working Group to convene Action: GD to arrange the next meeting
- DF raised concerns with lack of support from the Environment Agency (EA) and flooding issues within the Hullbridge parish. Action: Footpaths Working Group to feed into the EA. Action: MH to flag the flooding issues at Hullbridge with
the Enforcement team at RDC
17/23 Annual Report November 2022 - November 2023
Subject to an alteration at item 4. Path to Prosperity Project (page 5) to alter from mention of MDC to Chelmsford City, the report was agreed.
Action: Alteration to be made and finalised report published on RDC website (MHo).
18/23 RCCCT Projects Groups Update including questions from the public
The group agreed that, as a matter of principal, the Project / Working Groups were ‘task and finish’ to deal with the detail on respective matters and then refer back to the Steering Group.
Further to a suggestion by DF, a new Working Group was agreed to be set up that focused on addressing pollution. The project would be led by DF and contain three additional members; Cllr P White, DME and RH. Action: Pollution Working Group to be formed with immediate effect and an initial meeting to be organised (DF).
Footpaths Group
In response to a question about the King Charles III Coastal Path route, KP agreed to circulate the weblinks to maps available online and which included the proposal for the latest stretch of Wallasea to Burnham. Action: Steering Group to be emailed the Coastal Path details (KP).
Action: JMcP to approach Rochford Hundred for any support with promotion of the Coastal Path.
GD raised concern about the poor condition of Coastal footpath signs. MH advised that once this data is collected by the Steering Group then an approach can be made to Essex County Council (ECC) to escalate. Action: GD to survey the Coastal footpath signs and create a list of those for repair and which for ECC address – feeding back to the
Steering Group.
Public Space Protection Order (PSPO)
This group had come to a close and there was no further business at this time.
19/23 Date of Next Meeting
In recognition that there may be changes to the Accountable Body during 2024, this date was not finalised as the venue could be subject to alteration.
Action: AGM Meeting arrangements to be confirmed in due course (All)
MH thanked everyone for attending in person and their contributions.
The meeting started at 14:05 and ended 14:40