13.1 This Chapter relates to Proposals Map Insets 6 onwards covering the rural villages as defined in Policy QL1 of this Plan and the Colchester fringes; and in part, the Main District Proposals Map. It provides the planning context, policies and site specific proposals to meet the needs of these areas up to 2011. It is important this Chapter is read in conjunction with the earlier policies that relate to the whole of the Tendring District.
13.2 Many of the previous Local
Plan policies adopted in 1998 continue to be relevant.
Consequently, where appropriate, they have been carried
forward into this Plan either unchanged or amended, and
new policies and proposals have been added.
13.3 The previous Adopted Local Plan included detailed statements for each of the villages in Tendring. For this Plan, it is clear that a number of common themes have emerged for all the settlements within the countryside and it is therefore considered that one statement covering all rural settlements is appropriate. However, this plan still retains individual Inset Maps for each of the defined villages.
13.3a The Key issues for the rural areas of the District are as follows:
• the identification of appropriate Settlement Development Boundaries;
• promoting regeneration of the rural economy;
• ensuring that sufficient land is made available for the needs of industry and commerce;
• improving open space provision and community facilities;
• the scale and location of future housing developments;
• recognising the value of environmental assets in and around the villages; and
• protecting and enhancing the character of Conservation Areas.
13.4 As part of a sustainable approach, Settlement Development Boundaries to which policies QL1 and HG3 apply, are only drawn around those villages listed in Policy QL1. This is to encourage development only in villages that, with a certain range of facilities, could support some further development without significantly increasing unsustainable travel. A village has been defined as a geographically compact group of 30 or more dwellings that, within the group, also has one or more of either a primary school, a village hall or a convenience shop.
13.5 The Settlement Development Boundary for the Colchester fringe encapsulates the built-up area of Colchester that falls within the Tendring side of the District Boundary. This includes the residential area in Plains Farm Close and the car show rooms on the opposite side of the road. Also, employment land at the Betts Factory, Ipswich Road and land west of Ipswich Road is included within the boundary.
13.6 The Settlement Development Boundaries are tightly drawn to reflect the prominent impact development on the edge of these villages would have over the surrounding open countryside and to discourage inappropriate proposals for backland development.
13.7 Rural communities nationally have suffered from a loss of facilities and public services, shortages of low-cost housing and reduced local job opportunities brought about by changes in farming practices over the last ten years. These trends have been reflected in the rural communities of the Tendring District.
13.8 In Policy QL7 of this Plan, the Council aims to encourage regeneration in rural areas by permitting appropriate rural diversification schemes on agricultural holdings and supporting affordable housing to address local need, employment opportunities and local recreation or new community facilities within the defined villages. This Policy also gives protection to existing local services and community facilities, the Best and Most Versatile Agricultural land and employment sites.
13.9 Agriculture, once a major source of employment in rural areas, now employs only a small percentage of the rural population. This is a downward trend likely to continue due to increasing mechanisation of production and as changes to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) begin a permanent shift away from farming for subsidy to farming for the market. CAP funds will become increasingly available for measures that focus less on agriculture and more on developing the rural economy as a whole and on promoting sustainability.
13.10 Diversification of the rural economy will
be encouraged provided new uses do not damage the landscape,
generate excessive amounts of traffic or significantly
affect residential amenities or character. Diversification
will be crucial to providing future employment opportunities
and thus ensure the long-term economic prosperity of rural
communities. The diversification of farm enterprises and
the re-use of other redundant rural buildings is dealt
with in both the Sustaining Strengthening
the Economy and Promoting Regeneration and the Sustaining
Our Environment Chapters of this Plan.
13.11 The trend to move away from agriculture
to more diverse sources of employment brings about a demand
for more land for employment development within the rural
areas. In accordance with the Structure Plan, around 100101
hectares of new employment land will be made available
throughout the District to meet expected demand over the
period 1996 to 2011. The Council places a high priority
on protecting existing suitable employment sites because
of the need to provide adequate land, over the Plan Period
and beyond, to enable sufficient opportunities for new
rural enterprises that will help to ease the problems
created by the declining agricultural employment.
13.12 Both proposed and existing safeguarded employment
areas are identified on the Proposals Map Insets and are
allocated and protected by policies ER1 and ER3 of this
Plan respectively. Policy QL7 emphasises the importance
of promoting and protecting employment sites to assist
regeneration in the District’s rural areas and gives
additional protection to existing sites that provide a
source of legitimate employment in rural areas, but that
are not specifically identified on the Proposals Map.
An example is the Exchem Organics Works, Bramble Island,
Great Oakley. The chemical nature of the work that takes
place there is considered most suitable in this remote
location away from areas of residential development. Any
proposals to extend the operations here would be subject
to Policy ER8 of this Plan.
13.13 Four sites are allocated
for employment use in rural areas. The largest of these
sites is land north of the Car Auctions, Frating comprising
27 hectares. This is a specific site in relation to finding
appropriate sites for development along the A120 corridor
and comprising the junction with the A133. Due to the
sensitive landscape of this area, proposals for this site
would have to incorporate a sympathetic landscaping scheme
to mitigate the visual impact of any development.
13.13a Five sites are allocated for employment use in the rural areas. The largest of these is land south of the A120 and east of the A133, comprising 27 hectares. Policy QL5(c) and paragraphs 2.35a, 2.35b, 2.35c and 2.35d set out the context for this allocation.
13.14 0.94 hectares of land to the east of the
Plough Centre, Plough Road, Great Bentley, allocated for
employment use in the previous Local Plan, is re-allocated
to form an extension to the Plough Centre.
and 2ha of land north of Bypass Road, St. Osyth is
allocated for business and industrial use.
13.15 Martells Pit, just south of Ardleigh village, is an area currently used for gravel workings and a small industrial estate. 25% of the site is already in industrial use and there is potential for further provision depending on the extent of mineral operations. Whilst the site is allocated for a mixture of B1, B2 and B8 uses, its particular value is as a location for industrial activities which by nature of their untidy or un-neighbourly character my not be well suited to an industrial estate. Consequently, this particular site is valuable as a potential location for non-conforming industrial activity that might otherwise be difficult to accommodate elsewhere in the District. The Environment Agency have indicated that they would expect any new industrial development to be connected to the public foul sewer, which may necessitate the construction of a pumping station. This is required as there is a significant risk of foul water polluting the ground water aquifer.
13.16 Particular consideration will be given to the issue of traffic generation of heavy goods vehicles and that adequate provision is made within the site for vehicle circulation. The following Policy addresses this issue.
Policy RA1 — Martells Pit, Ardleigh
On land allocated for employment use at Martells Pit, no new premises will be occupied until the internal road system has been extended satisfactorily in highway terms, to cope with the new development.
13.17 In Wix, Land north of Paskell’s Timber Yard is allocated to form an extension to the employment area north of the village and south of the A120. This site was identified for employment use in the previous Local Plan but development did not take place in the Plan Period. It is still considered by the Council to be a suitable site for employment use and has therefore been re-allocated.
13.18 Proposals for new employment areas in the
rural areas not specifically allocated in this Plan are
supported in Policy ER10 subject to meeting the criteria
set out in Policy ER7 of this Plan. One such proposal
includes land north of Bypass Road, St. Osyth which was
the subject of a representation to the Issues Report from
St. Osyth Parish Council seeking employment development.
13.19 It is proposed that the Maltings opposite
Thorpe-le-Soken Maltings, opposite Thorpe-le-Soken
Railway Station should be retained as an important
is one of the district’s most recognisable
historic landmarks. Listed in October
1998 as a Grade II structure, and lying within the Thorpe
Station and Maltings Conservation Area, every effort
should be made to retain and restore the building, and
any proposal for re-use of the building
should respect the building’s architectural
and historic character along with its setting.
13.20 Due to its derelict and rapidly deteriorating state, Thorpe Maltings has been identified by Essex County Council as a
Building at Risk”. In response,Essex
the County Council and the building’s
landownersare taking the lead by have
initiating commissioned a studyies
aimed at finding a viable comprehensive scheme for restoration
of the Maltings and adjoining properties. A The
study will be commissioned aimed at developing
recommend a feasible strategy
to which addresses the need to preserve
and re-use the Maltings and resolves the mix
of problematic uses that surround it. This study,
if deemed appropriate, will be adopted for use as SPG.
Policy RA2 — Thorpe-le-Soken Maltings
The restoration and re-use of Thorpe-le-Soken
Maltings will be supported as part of a comprehensive
enhancement of the Thorpe Station and Maltings Conservation
Area. AcceptableuUses will
include on conversion will be as offices
and/or small business premises and housing.
If the accepted technical evidence suggests that condition of the building indicates that the Maltings cannot be economically restored, permission may be granted for a replacement building upon the existing footprint of the Maltings.
13.21 It is accepted that for the restoration and re-use of the Maltings to take place, some form of enabling development (including some housing) may be necessary to support any scheme. Any proposed enabling development will be subject to other policies in this Plan, in particular Policy EN27. However, if it is apparent from the above study that restoration and re-use of the Maltings, due to its deterioration is no longer a viable option, the redevelopment of the building in accordance with Policies EN20 and EN21 of this Plan may be allowed. In such an instance, there would be no exceptional justification for residential enabling development on adjoining land.
13.22 The rural areas have some important caravan
and chalet parks that should be protected to promote tourism
in the Tendring District. Policies ER18, ER19 and ER19aER23
of this Plan deal with the need to safeguard these
sites in principle, to seek improvements to facilities
wherever appropriate, and to encourage some provision
of touring caravan and tent pitches. The safeguarded
sites are shown on the Proposals Map Insets.
13.23 The safeguarded sites are
shown on the Proposals Map Insets. Notable examples include
Point Clear Bay Holiday Caravan Park and the Firs and
Anchor Caravan Parks, Little Clacton.
13.24 The allocation of land rear of “The White Hart” Public House, Harwich Road, Wix for the potential development of a motel has been carried forward from Local Plan to Local Plan since 1982. This site does have the benefit of planning permission for the development of an 18-room motel granted in 2003.
Policy RA3 — Motel
Land at the rear of “The White Hart” Public House, Harwich Road, east of Wix, is considered suitable for the development of a motel.
13.25 Shopping provision varies considerably from village to village. Large villages like Thorpe-le-Soken contain a variety of small comparison and convenience goods shops, whereas small villages like Great Bromley, have little or no provision at all. General policies covering shopping issues are contained in the Strengthening the Economy and Promoting Regeneration Chapter of this Plan.
13.26 The Tendring District contains six rural “Local Centres” as defined in Policy ER31 of this Plan. These are:
• High Street, Thorpe-le-Soken;
• Clacton and Spring Roads, St. Osyth;
• Station Road, Alresford;
• Clacton Road, Elmstead Market;
• Plough Road, Great Bentley; and
• The Street, Little Clacton.
13.27 These areas are shown on the Proposals Map Insets for these six villages.
13.28 As part of a sustainable approach the Plan, through Policy QL1, contains 24 villages with defined Settlement Development Boundaries based upon their size, layout and the presence of certain key facilities.
13.29 Reflecting PPG3 (Housing),
the Plan seeks to meet as much of the District’s
housing requirement as possible within existing settlements,
including defined villages in Policy QL1, on suitable
previously developed sites accessible to facilities and
at appropriate densities making efficient use of land.
In accordance with the Plan’s Spatial Strategy described
in Policy QL1, the sequential approach of PPG3 and Adopted
Replacement Structure Plan Policy H2, most new housing
will be concentrated in the “large urban areas”
of Clacton and Harwich as set out in Table 1 to Policy
HG1. This includes urban extensions to Clacton and Harwich
as insufficient suitable and available previously developed
land is likely to come forward in the Plan Period in the
District’s settlements to meet the Structure Plan
housing requirement for the District.
13.30 Potential housing allocation
sites were assessed sequentially against a range of PPG3
sustainability criteria. As a result, sufficient suitable
urban extension sites for housing have been identified
on the edges of Clacton and Harwich such that proposed
expansion of smaller towns or villages, with more limited
accessibility to employment, choice of sustainable means
of transport, shops and other facilities and services,
has not been necessary. Accordingly, following the sequential
approach, a search for greenfield sites for general housing
on the edge of villages wasunwarranted for
this Plan Period.
13.31 However, iIn accordance
with Replacement Structure Plan Policy H2, a combination
of rolled-forward large site commitments (Appendix 1),
and a large number of small windfall housing sites on
previously developed land within defined villages will
continue to come forward for consideration through the
development control process. The scale of housing provision
locally in villages should therefore make an important
contribution consistent with local community needs and
sustainability principles, and will be supplemented by
rural exception schemes (see below).
13.32 In accordance with Policy HG4, housing schemes
of 3 or more dwellings in villages will be expected to
provide an element of genuinely affordable housing, normally
for rent from a registered social landlord, to meet local
housing needs. In addition, Policy HG5 provides for local
needs affordable housing schemes on land outside but immediately
abutting small rural communitiesSettlement
Development Boundaries under the Government’s
Rural Exceptions Scheme. This is a continuation of a successful
policy that has resulted in the implementation of several
appropriate small-scale schemes adjoining villages in
the District in recent years to meet the local housing
needs of persons unable to afford market housing.
13.33 Infill Housing development
within the Settlement Development Boundaries of definedvillages
is governed by the application of Policy RA4. This provides
clarity on the scale of infill development
permitted. In brief, it is more appropriate to locate
small-scale residential development in those villages
with a range of facilities and services, rather than the
smaller settlements which are devoid of facilities and
where new development would therefore place a heavy reliance
upon travelling for virtually all service requirements.
13.34 The steady fall in rural employment opportunities and the increase in car ownership have contributed to the marked decline in local services and facilities in rural communities. Each facility lost in a village makes the situation worse, resulting in more people needing to travel further to schools, shops, entertainment etc. The Council recognises the difficulties and hardship that the loss of a local post office or village store can cause, particularly for residents who do not own a car, or do not have access to one during the day.
13.35 Policy QL1 of this Plan defines Settlement Development Boundaries for those villages comprising an existing compact group of at least 30 dwellings and one or more of the following key facilities: primary school, convenience good shop, (often including a post office), or village hall. Some of the District’s rural settlements, however, consist of several hundred houses, some with a better range of facilities/services including:
• a primary school;
• good journey to work public/community transport to a town;
• convenience goods shop;
• community leisure and social facilities; and
• a variety of employment opportunities.
13.36 Policy RA4 is designed to allow infill
housing development in villages that
is related, in its scale, to the range of facilities available
in that village, i.e. villages with a greater range of
services can support larger housing developments in sustainability
terms without severely increasing the number of car-borne
journeys in the District. In contrast, in villages with
a smaller range of services, residential development
infill should be restricted to smaller scale
schemes developments.
13.36a The Council recognises the important role that local schools in rural communities perform and acknowledges the fact that, to sustain their continued operation, modest levels of local household growth may be necessary. In secondary and other defined villages, the presence of a primary school will therefore be a material consideration in determining the level of weight to be given to the application of Policy RA4 in limiting the amount of dwellings permitted in these rural settlements.
13.37 The Policy identifies three categories of
village: “Sustainable Principal
Defined Villages”, “Secondary Defined
Villages with a Range of Services”,
and “Other DefinedVillages”. These are
explained below.
13.38 Defined rural settlements containing all
five of the above-listed facilities/services are considered
to be “Sustainable Principal
Defined Villages”. At the Plan’s base
date of April 20034, the following
villages were ranked in this category:
• Alresford
• Great Bentley
• Little Clacton
• St. Osyth
• Thorpe-le-Soken
• Weeley
13.39 Defined rural settlements containing any
four of the five above-listed facilities/services are
considered “Secondary Defined Villages
with a Range of Services”. In April 20034,
these included:
• Ardleigh
• Bradfield
• Elmstead Market
• Great Bromley
• Great Oakley
• Kirby-le-Soken
• Ramsey
• Thorrington
• Wix
13.40 Defined rural settlements containing three or fewer of the five above-listed facilities/services fall within the
Other Defined Villages” category. In
April 20034, these were:
• Aingers Green
• Beaumont-cum-Moze
• Frating Green and Balls Green
• Great Bromley
• Great Holland
• Point Clear
• Tendring
• Tendring Green
• Weeley Heath
Policy RA4 — Infill Housing
Development within Defined Villages
New housing development in villages will
take the form of infilling (1-3 houses) within the Settlement
Development Boundaries. It is accepted that small groups
of up to 5 dwellings within the villages that have a
range of services and facilities may be appropriate.
Proposals for 6 or more dwellings in villages will only
be allowed in Sustainable Villages.
Within the Settlement Development Boundaries of Defined Villages:
• Proposals for 6 or more dwellings will only be allowed in “Principal Defined Villages”;
• Small groups of up to 5 dwellings may be appropriate within “Secondary Defined Villages”; and
• In the “Other Defined Villages”, housing development will take the form of infilling (1-3 houses)
13.40a Tendring District contains a number of other rural settlements such as: Little Bentley, Little Bromley and Stones Green. These settlements are important in terms of their historical associations and as the central focus of parish life. Government guidance in PPS7 recognises that small scale development in these settlements, may be justified where it helps to meet identified community needs. In addition, these settlements may benefit from the provision of affordable housing under the terms of policy HG5.
13.41 The wide range in population and dwelling numbers, results in a broad range in the numbers of local services provided within each village. Services such as post offices, village stores, community halls, places of worship and schools are all essential to village life. They help maintain inclusiveness, reduce the need to travel by car and contribute to alleviating rural poverty by providing low-income households with access to essential services.
13.42 Policy QL7 and Policy COM3 provide protection for these facilities. In some villages, there are deficiencies in services that need to be remedied. Where possible, the Council will take planning action to help secure this by permitting development that provides local services within the villages, subject to the relevant policy considerations, including amenity and highway safety.
13.43 The retention of existing local services, recreation and community facilities and provision of new facilities are considered in more detail in the Safer and Healthier Communities Chapter and rural transport is considered in the Sustainable Transportation Chapter.
13.44 In the previous Local Plan,
in response to the increased population proposed at Frating,
planning permission was sought, and permitted for the
erection of a meeting hall on land adjacent to “Brooklyn”,
Colchester Road, as shown on the Proposals Map Inset,
to serve the need of the local community.
Policy RA5 — Provision for a New
Community Hall, Frating
Land adjacent “Brooklyn”,
Colchester Road, is allocated for community use.
13.45 Pubs perform a useful social role in rural communities and are a source of local employment. Frequently, they occupy historic buildings and make a significant contribution to the character of the locality. The Council considers that the increasing number of proposals to convert pubs to other uses (most notably residential) warrants the introduction of a specific policy so that future applications may be properly assessed.
Policy RA6 - Village Pubs
Retention of public houses is strongly supported, particularly in rural areas where the availability of other premises is limited. Applications for changes-of-use will be resisted, unless convincing evidence can be provided to show that the public house is not economically viable. If permission is granted for a change-of-use, encouragement will be given to the premises remaining in some form of community or employment use as long as there is no traffic, amenity, environmental or conservation problems as a result.
If applications for a change of use of a public house are received in rural areas, evidence will be required that:
(i) a comprehensive and sustained marketing campaign (agreed in advance) offering the public house for sale as a going concern, has been undertaken, using an agreed valuation of the premises;
(ii) the public house has been offered for sale locally, and in the region, in appropriate publications.
(iii) the marketing campaign has run for a period of at least 12 months before the planning application is submitted; and
(iv) if marketing has been based wholly or partially on an alternative community or employment use, there has been prior discussion on the principle of the proposal.
13.46 As part of its Rural Policing
Review, Essex Police Authority have been searching for
an appropriate site for the location of a new Police Station.
No specific site has been selected, but any proposal for
a new Police Station will be judged against the criteria
of Policy RA7.
Policy RA7 — Provision of a New
Police Station
Proposals for the development of a new
Police Station will be permitted provided that:
(i) they do not have a materially detrimental
affect on:
a) the amenity of neighbouring occupiers;
b) highway and pedestrian safety;
c) the townscape and surroundings;
(ii) the facilities are accessible to
the community they serve by a variety of forms of transport,
including public transport; and
(iii) adequate car-parking provision is
provided to meet operational demands.
13.47 The Council has recently undertaken a comprehensive
assessment of the quality and quantity of public open
space across the District. When measured against the National
Playing Field Association (NPFA) standards, the District
was found to be deficient in virtually all types of public
open space and it was found that the quality of existing
facilities also need to be improved. New policies have
been introduced to help redress this imbalance and the
following sites have been identified as new areas of public
open space to be safeguarded and brought into public use
as and when sufficient funds becaome
available through applying Policy COM6.
13.48 The sites in question are:
• land north of the existing recreation ground and south of Mary Warner Road, Ardleigh; and
• land to the rear of 18-32 Holly Way, Elmstead Market.
13.49 Both of these areas are shown on the Proposals Map Insets as well as all areas of open space safeguarded under Policy COM7 of this Plan.
13.50 A new Country Park is proposed
for land at Martin’s Farm, north-west of St. Osyth.
This is expected to open in 2004 and will be safeguarded
as a Country Park under Policy COM13 of this Plan.
13.51 The Tendring Peninsula historically suffers from a low annual rainfall which can pose long-term problems in terms of water supply. A site west of Great Holland is shown on the Proposals Map for a new reservoir and pumping station and is safeguarded for that purpose under Policy COM31 of this Plan. Another water supply site will be identified in the St. Osyth Area during the Plan Period.
13.52 In the past, irrigation requirements have, to a large extent, been met by groundwater abstraction. To help protect limited groundwater supplies for future needs, the Council will generally support the development of reservoirs in rural areas to serve the needs of agriculture, subject to there being no material adverse environmental impacts. Such developments usually amount to large engineering projects that can have a significant adverse impact on the environment. Such proposals will be judged in relation to the requirements of Policy EN1 and against Policy RA8.
Policy RA8 — Agricultural Reservoirs
Support will be given for agricultural reservoirs and/ or winter water storage facilities subject to such proposals having no material adverse impact on:
(i) landscape characteristics;
(ii) biodiversity;
(iii) cultural heritage;
(iv) public rights of way;
(v) important nature conservation sites;
(vi) floodplain and associated flood storage; and
(vii) public safety.
Applications will be expected to include high quality landscaping both on and off site.
Furthermore, the development must be designed
to maximise opportunities to create wildlife habitat
and measures need to be put in place to ensure suitable
management in perpetuity.
13.53 The rural villages of the Tendring District are surrounded by important and attractive rural landscape that is considered vital to sustaining the rural economy. The protection and enhancement of this environmental asset will ensure that the countryside continues to be an attractive place in which to live and work.
13.54 The Tendring District Landscape Character
Assessment (LCA) identified thirty different landscape
character areas across the District and provided specific
guidance for built development as well as an appraisal
of these individual landscapes. This material will be
adopted as SPDG and will be a relevant
consideration when determining planning applications.
13.55 Local Green Gaps, as shown
on the Proposals Map Insets, are designed to maintain
the separation between areas of distinctive character.
The open character of these areas is protected from harmful
development under Policy EN2 of this Plan. This Policy
also encourages the enhancement of public rights of way
and existing leisure and recreational facilities.
13.56 The Green Gaps are allocated
in and around the village of Little Clacton to provide
clear separation between the village and Clacton-on-Sea
and between the separately defined parts of the village.
The local landscape is described in more detail in the
Council’s LCA.
13.57 Many of the District’s rural villages
are affected by areas designated for their nature conservation,
geological or other scientific value. These internationally,
nationally and locally important sites are given protection
against inappropriate development by Policyies
EN11 a, b and c in this Plan and are shown
on the Proposals Maps.
13.58 There are two Registered Parks and Gardens
in the rural part of the District, namely St. Osyth Priory
and Thorpe Hall (Lady Nelson Home). English Heritage have
produced detailed descriptions of these registered sites
(as included in the Appendices). These areas are
shown on the Proposals Map Insets and Policy EN129
protects them from inappropriate development.
13.59 Many of the District’s village centres are included in Conservation Areas, typically comprising the historic nucleus of now much expanded settlements. Examples include Great Bentley, Great Oakley and Kirby-le-Soken Conservation Areas. Others, including the Thorpe-le-Soken Station and Maltings, Brightlingsea Hall and All Saints Church Conservation Areas, are found distinctly separate from defined settlements, but are located around key architectural features with distinctive surrounding character. The extent of all the District’s Conservation Areas are defined on the Inset Maps.
13.60 In all, there are twelve Conservation Areas in the rural areas of the District and in addition to control over demolition of buildings, felling or lopping of trees and greater influence on the design of development, Conservation Area designation offers opportunities for enhancement schemes to achieve visual improvements.
13.61 Characteristic features to be retained and
parts of Conservation Areas that would benefit from enhancement
are highlighted in the Council’s Draft Conservation
Area Reviews. These documents highlight the main features
of the historic environment that both contribute and detract
from the special character and, when formally adopted
by the Council, will be used as SPG a
material consideration when determining relevant
planning applications.
13.62 The priorities for transport investment are contained within the Essex Local Transport Plan and the Tendring Transportation Strategy. The Tendring Transportation Strategy accepts that in rural areas, for many people there is no realistic alternative to the car. The continued development of rural public transport initiatives is therefore strongly supported by the Council.
13.63 Thorpe, Weeley, Great Bentley and Alresford have railway stations on the main Clacton to London Liverpool Street line, Kirby Cross railway station is on the branch line between Thorpe and Walton-on-the-Naze and Wrabness station is on the Harwich to London Liverpool Street Line. The Council will support any increase in the frequency of train services at rural stations. The “Village Link” bus services that operate between Clacton and Harwich and between Clacton and Mistley which provide important north-south public transport links through the villages are also strongly supported.