Congres “Planning our Green Heritage” – March 27, 2012 at De Schorre – Boom, Belgium Essex Country Council is preparing a vision for the whole of South Essex, highlighting the main Green Heritage sites and their relationship to the train line and the Thames Estuary Path. Several projects will link up to numerous other greenspaces, cycle ways, footpaths, nature reserves, heritage sites and marshlands in what is called the “South Essex Greengrid”. This is a project linking all the open spaces throughout South Essex from Thurrock to Southend.

1. John Meehan Essex County Council
The Parklands Vision

2. The Greengrid South Essex Strategy 2003

3. The Greengrid Vision

5. 1. Cross river ferry
2. Leisure centre
3. New jetties
4. Ocean cruise terminals
5. New marina
6. Reactivated dock
7. Reclaimed marshland
8. Wetland restoration
9. Thames Path
10. Connection
11. Thames Path connection
12. Heritage regeneration
13. Revealed tributaries
14. Sandbanks
15. Fisheries
16. Deepwater channel
17. Urban waterfront
18. Urban beach
19. Rural waterfront
Water Parklands
Reinvigorate the blue landscape as a major environmental,
recreational, transport and economic asset – a key to
sustainable development in the Thames Gateway.

6. Community Parklands
Improve access for existing and new communities to
significant landscapes.

7. Parklands historic
environment
Build on the rich history
of the area by regenerating
the historic environment
to provide a clear identity
for each community in the
Thames Gateway.

8. Urban Parklands
Regenerate and develop urban environments as places of
culture and social interaction.

9. A connected Parklands landscape
Create a connected Parklands landscape with the ‘green grid’,
the Thames Estuary Path and visual and environmental
improvements to major transport corridors.

10. Thames Gateway
Parklands Vision
This document sets out an
aspirational vision which
will guide and support
improvements to the
environment.

11. One vision, a thousand projects

12. Thames Gateway
PARKLANDS
Vision
By focusing on environmental improvement, the Parklands vision will help to: improve perceptions of the area;
improve the quality of life for 1,500,000 existing residents; create long term value by reconnecting communities to
the exceptional landscapes of the Estuary; encourage a greater number of visitors to the area; and help to attract
investment, jobs and people to Thames Gateway.

13. 15 Real Projects

14. Parklands EU Interreg Funding
The project title is MAXIGREEN, maximising Green Heritage, was applied
for in January 2011.
This will translate into a number of improvements locally, namely;
•Creating Visions for the South Essex Marshlands
•Creating linkages between the C2C train line stations and the Marshes
•Promoting the South Essex Marshlands
•Improving access with new paths, signage, maps, mobile phone tech etc
•Creating education programmes relating to the marshes history and
biodiversity
•Linking the Hadleigh Farm Mountain biking venue to the Marshes and
the Thames Estuary Path
The total bid for the South Essex Marshlands is worth £887,000,
50% of which is European funding.

15. The future of Parklands

16. The future of Parklands
Local Nature Partnership
“their overall purpose will be to bring a diverse range of
individuals, businesses and organisations together at a local level
to create a vision and plan of action of how the natural
environment can be taken into account in decision making.”
DEFRA
Thames Estuary and Parkland LNP
We recognise the need and benefits of moving towards a
stronger, more inclusive and reflective economic and
environmental partnership that would operate across the Thames
Gateway.

17. We Share a Vision
Our Vision for the Greater Thames Marshes NIA is a living and vibrant marshland
and estuary landscape where the skills and enthusiasm of residents, visitors,
businesses and technical experts are harnessed to work in partnership, delivering
more wildlife, more public understanding and enjoyment of the environment and
greater resilience by the natural world to the changes brought about by
development and climate change.
17

18. Our NIA
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A 48,981 ha pilot offering enhancement to SSSIs, an SAC,
SPAs, Ramsar sites and NNRs where nature is in decline,
development and recreation increasing, sea levels rising
and the land sinking ...

19. The Outcomes of Parklands
•more visitors and local communities
using greenspaces,
•more pride in living in the Thames
Estuary, healthier lifestyles, and
•an improved image leading to
increased economic investment

20. Parklands Conclusions
•Parklands investment has achieved a step
change in realising Green Infrastructure
•The Parklands/Greengrid Partnership continue to
deliver improvements
•Parklands and Estuary environmental
improvements will continue and NIA may
provide a long term context for long term
sustainable improvements

21. Thank you and any Questions