Rochford District Council Strategic Environmental Assessment Baseline Information Profile 2009 – 2010 Prepared For Rochford District Council by Essex County Council The information contained in this document can be made available in alternative formats: large print, Braille, audio tape or on disk. We can also translate this document in to other languages. ii CONTENTS CONTENTS Figure List............................................................................................................................ v Table List ............................................................................................................................ ix 1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................1 PART ONE: Natural Environment....................................................................................3 2 Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna ...................................................................................5 3 Landscape ..............................................................................................................23 4 Air Quality ...............................................................................................................33 5 Climatic Factors ......................................................................................................43 6 Water Quality ..........................................................................................................53 7 Flooding ..................................................................................................................63 8 Soils, Minerals and Waste.......................................................................................67 PART TWO: Built Environment......................................................................................91 9 Cultural Heritage and Townscape...........................................................................93 10 Health....................................................................................................................101 11 Population and Social ...........................................................................................121 12 Economy ...............................................................................................................135 13 Housing.................................................................................................................167 14 Transport...............................................................................................................181 Bibliography..................................................................................................................... 201 iii CONTENTS This page is left intentionally blank iv FIGURE LIST FIGURE LIST Figure 1: Percentage Changes in Wild Bird Indicators by Region 1994–2007.................7 Figure 2: East of England Wild Bird Indices 1994-2007...................................................8 Figure 3: Change in Farmland Bird Population Indices 1994–2007.................................8 Figure 4: Proportion of Changes in Farmland Bird Species Populations in the East of England Region ....................................................................................9 Figure 5: Change in Woodland Bird Population Indices 1994–2007................................9 Figure 6: Proportion of Changes in Farmland Bird Species Populations in the East of England Region ..................................................................................10 Figure 7: Change in All Native Bird Population Indices 1994–2007...............................10 Figure 8: Proportion of Changes in All Native Bird Populations in the East of England...........................................................................................................11 Figure 9: Ramsar Sites, Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation in Rochford District ...................................................................13 Figure 10: Location of Sites of Special Scientific Interest within Rochford District...........15 Figure 11: Condition of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Rochford District 2009.......18 Figure 12: Rochford District Local Nature Reserves........................................................19 Figure 13: Rochford District Local Wildlife Sites ..............................................................20 Figure 14: Special Landscape Areas within Rochford District..........................................24 Figure 15: Landscape Character Areas within Rochford District......................................25 Figure 16: Coastal Landscape Character Areas within Rochford District.........................29 Figure 17: Mid Essex Coastal Landscape Character Types within Rochford District.......30 Figure 18: Ancient Woodland and Special Verges within Rochford District .....................31 Figure 19: Location of NO2 Monitoring Tube 1: Rochford Market Square........................37 Figure 20: Location of NO2 Monitoring Tube 2: Junction of Eastwood Road and High Street, Rayleigh......................................................................................38 Figure 21: Location of NO2 Monitoring Tube 3: Bedloes Corner, Rawreth.......................38 Figure 22: Annual Mean Concentrations of Benzene (concentrations in μgm-3) ..............40 Figure 23: CO2 Emissions per Capita in 2007..................................................................49 Figure 24: Emissions of CO2 per Capita 2005 – 2007 .....................................................51 Figure 25: Main Rivers within Rochford District ...............................................................53 Figure 26: Aquifers in Essex County Council...................................................................54 Figure 27: River and lake water bodies in the Combined Essex river catchment ............56 Figure 28: Spatial Extent of Flood Zones 2 and 3(a and b)..............................................64 Figure 29: Agricultural Land Classification in Essex ........................................................68 Figure 30: Agricultural Land Classification in Rochford District........................................69 Figure 31: Total Waste Arisings by Essex Districts and Boroughs 2008/2009.................71 Figure 32: Total District Waste Tonnage Sent to Landfill by Rochford District 2000 – 2009.............................................................................................................72 Figure 33: Proportion of District Waste which was Recycled and Composted in Essex 2008/2009 ............................................................................................73 Figure 34: District Waste Collection per Dwelling in Essex 2008/2009............................76 v FIGURE LIST Figure 35: Waste Collected from Household Waste Recycling Centres per Dwelling in Essex 2008/2009..........................................................................78 Figure 36: Proportion of Household Waste Landfilled in Rochford and Essex 2000/2009.......................................................................................................80 Figure 37: Proportion of Household Waste Recycled in Rochford and Essex 2000/2009.......................................................................................................82 Figure 38: Household Waste Recycling Centre Waste Landfilled in Rochford and Essex 2000/2009 ............................................................................................84 Figure 39: Household Waste Recycling Centre Waste Recycled in Rochford and Essex 2000/2009 ............................................................................................86 Figure 40: Listed Buildings in Rochford District ...............................................................94 Figure 41: Scheduled Monuments in Rochford District....................................................97 Figure 42: Conservation Areas in Rochford District .........................................................99 Figure 43: Rochford District Comparison of Directly Standardised Mortality Rate for All Circulatory Diseases for People under 75 1993 - 2007............................102 Figure 44: Rochford District Comparison of Directly Standardised Mortality Rate for All Cancers for People under 75 across Essex 1993 - 2007.........................103 Figure 45: Teenage Conception Rate Trend Analysis ...................................................108 Figure 46: Total Incapacity Benefit and SDA Claimants as a Percentage of Total Population.....................................................................................................110 Figure 47: Comparison between Changing Trends Witnessed In Short Term Claimants......................................................................................................111 Figure 48: Comparison between Changing Trends Witnessed In Long Term Claimants......................................................................................................112 Figure 49: Index of Multiple Deprivation Trend Analysis................................................130 Figure 50: New Business Registration Rate in Rochford and Essex 2002 – 2007.........139 Figure 51: Small Business Growth in Rochford and Essex 2002 – 2007.......................140 Figure 52: Industrial and Commercial Floorspace Composition by Bulk Industry Class in m2 April 2008...................................................................................142