POLICY AND FINANCE COMMITTEE – 9 June 2005 Item 10 Appendix ROCHFORD STAGE ONE REPORT (DRAFT) The Tourism Company 15 The Southend LedburyRochford District Tourism Strategy – Phase 1 Report 0 HR8 The2EY Tourism Company [email protected] May 2005 POLICY AND FINANCE COMMITTEE – 9 June 2005 Item 10 Appendix CONTENTS Page 1 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................2 2 STRATEGIC CONTEXT ........................................................................................4 3 TOURISM AUDIT .................................................................................................13 4 MARKETS AND TRENDS ...................................................................................36 5 ASSESSMENT OF TOURISM POTENTIAL AND STRATEGY..........................49 APPENDIX 1 - LIST OF CONSULTEES.....................................................................56 APPENDIX 2 – LANDSCAPE CHARACTER ASSESSMENT OF ROCHFORD DISTRICT.....................................................................................................................58 Rochford District Tourism Strategy – Phase 1 Report 1 The Tourism Company POLICY AND FINANCE COMMITTEE – 9 June 2005 Item 10 Appendix 1 INTRODUCTION In March 2005, The Tourism Company was commissioned by Rochford District Council to prepare a sustainable tourism strategy and action plan for the District of Rochford. The aim of the study, as set out in the brief (track changes), was to enable the Council to effectively consider the key decisions that need to be taken if the tourism potential of the District is to be developed. At the outset of this study it was agreed to conduct the study in two stages. This report is the culmination of Stage 1 an assessment of the tourism potential of the district. If it is decided to proceed, stage 2 will work up initiatives and proposals in some detail and also present an action plan. Our findings and conclusions are based on: • A number of fact-finding visits to the District and the surrounding areas: • Discussions with Council Officers • Open meetings with Council Members and Chambers of Commerce • Discussions with other interested parties and relevant agencies including Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership and Real Essex tourism campaign • Face to face and/or telephone interviews with those involved in tourism and marketing promotion in the area and those responsible for assets with tourism potential (e.g. Essex Marina) A list of the main consultees is included as Appendix 1 1.1 Structure of the report Following on from this introductory chapter, the report is structured as follows: • Chapter 2 looks at the policy context and in particular how this study relates to the other policies, strategies and initiatives drawn up by the District Council as well as a number of local and regional bodies • Chapter 3 offers an assessment of the District’s tourism assets and concludes by summarising the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) • Chapter 4 examines market trends and future prospects for a range of tourism markets and looks at the current extent of tourism at a regional, county and district level. • Chapter 5 offers a view on the extent and nature of tourism potential within the District and presents a number of options as to the way forward for tourism development in the District. Rochford District Tourism Strategy – Phase 1 Report 2 The Tourism Company POLICY AND FINANCE COMMITTEE – 9 June 2005 Item 10 Appendix 1.2 Definitions It is useful to define what we mean by tourism. We have applied the Tourism Society’s definition of tourism, i.e: “The temporary short-term movement of people to destinations outside the places where they normally live and work and the activities during their stay at these destinations; it includes movement for all purposes, as well as day visits or excursions”. Tourism, therefore, includes holiday tourism trips staying away from home overnight, overnight business tourism trips made during the course of work including attending conferences, meetings and exhibitions and non-routine day trips. Tourism is differentiated from leisure activity by regularity of use. Leisure activities include, for example, sports and arts participation, shopping and eating out, done on a regular, sometimes spontaneous, basis from home, as part of an individual’s day- to-day life while tourism activities are special, generally planned, non routine or longer trips including, but not limited to, overnight trips. Rochford District Tourism Strategy – Phase 1 Report 3 The Tourism Company POLICY AND FINANCE COMMITTEE – 9 June 2005 Item 10 Appendix 2 STRATEGIC CONTEXT This section provides a review of the existing strategic policies that have relevance to this study. The main aims of each is examined along which key recommendations that link to tourism development. 2.1 Regional and sub regional strategies Thames Gateway South Essex The regeneration of the Thames Gateway is a national priority for the Government. The Thames Gateway area includes east London, north Kent and south Essex. The area includes small part of District around London Southend Airport. Thames Gateway is a 25-year, £6 billion project, aiming to build the prosperity of the whole area so that it can compete more effectively in the global market and provide a better quality of life for all its residents. As part of the Thames Gateway Project, a Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership has been set up to implement the project within south Essex. The Partnership has a regional allocation of approximately £123m from the total Project budget, although this figure is further boosted by funding from the East of England Development Agency and other sources. Priorities for the sub-region are identified in Delivering the Future, the Partnership’s strategic framework document launched in July 2003. Efforts are focused around 3 ‘regeneration hubs’ with key development sectors identified within each hub. One of these is: • Southend/Rochford – creative/cultural, leisure/tourism and higher education Within these ‘hubs’, certain areas (eg Southend) have been defined as ‘Zones of Change’ and have established specific bodies to oversee the delivery of change. Rochford has been identified as a ‘Zone of Influence’ and the document calls for Rochford to develop those themes which link to Southend. These are: • With Southend Borough Council; resolving the future of London Southend Airport and its environs • Developing and extending the Green Grid concept across the District and, in particular, in association with the development and expansion of Cherry Orchard Jubilee Country Park • Promoting the leisure and tourism potential of the District and securing new hotel provision in the area • Promoting the enhancement of Rochford Town as a centre for ‘Arts and Crafts’ • Conserving and enhancing the District’s heritage, particularly in the centres of Rochford and Rayleigh Rochford District Tourism Strategy – Phase 1 Report 4 The Tourism Company POLICY AND FINANCE COMMITTEE – 9 June 2005 Item 10 Appendix Rochford District Council has recently set up a Rochford Delivery Steering Group in order to deliver a range of renewal projects in Rochford including those connected with the Thames Gateway. In terms of action, the Council has been successful in securing Thames Gateway funding for a number of schemes. These include £340K for the restoration of Rayleigh Windmill, around £700K for street enhancements in Websters Way in Rayleigh and £100K for Cherry Orchard Jubilee Country Park. South Essex Green Grid Strategy Part of Thames Gateway project, the South Essex Green Grid Strategy was published in March 2005 and is a 25 to 30 year plan that aims to link every resident with townscapes, landscapes and riverscapes by a variety of open spaces. The strategy is promoted by a number of stakeholders including the Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership, of which Rochford District Council is part. Over £5m has already been earmarked for the project over the next 3 years, but the total allocation over the life of the project is expected to run into many millions. The strategy focuses on the development or enhancement of four types of corridor: • Parkways and urban green roadways – major highways that will be upgraded using a design-led approach • Riverways – as corridors and sequences of spaces • Railways – as a window onto the landscape • Greenways- national, regional and sub-regional footpaths / cycle paths Within the strategy, the Area Framework for Southend and Rochford identifies a number of key issues. Key amongst these are improving physical links between Southend and Rochford countryside and improving connection with the area’s rivers. The strategy presents a number of specific initiatives to meet these opportunities. These include promotion of leisure industry of Southend and Rochford; enhancement of heritage features of parks and creation of four new interconnected country parks on the northern edge of Southend. The strategy also contains a number of specific initiatives. These include: a) Improving north-south links between the Districts of Southend and Rochford by: • Creation of four greenways (Leigh on Sea to Hockley Woods in Rayleigh; Central Southend to Rochford; Shoeburyness to the Barling area; Southchurch to the area south of Sutton Hall; Rayleigh to Bournes Green linking two new parks in Southend District (Bourne Park and Shoebury Park)) • Creating distinctive bridges/crossings across A127 Parkway and A1159 Urban