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2008Vision to Reality

RochfordD i s t r i c t C o u n c i l

from vision to reality.qxp 02/04/2008 09:05

We want to create an environment that isvibrant, inclusive, safe, sustainable andmodern while retaining the essentialcharacteristics of the salt marshes, rivers,woodland, open countryside, villages andmarket towns that make Rochford what it istoday. We see the District as a place withhigh quality natural and built environmentsthat retain their distinctiveness, foster civicpride and where all have access to qualityaccessible services.

We will:

Build on the heritage, cultural and economicstrengths of our area and the sense ofidentity and civic pride of our people

Improve the quality of life for people in ourcommunities and play a full role in thesustainable growth and prosperity of ourCounty.

In particular, we will utilise our position withinThames Gateway South Essex to promote theDistrict as the ‘green part’ of the sub region.

Our Vision

Making Rochford District the place of choice in the County to live, work and visit

“ to make

Rochford District

the place of choice

in the county to live,

work and visit ”


Our Objectives – to deliver the vision for the District

We will:

Provide an excellent, cost effectivefrontline service for all our customers

Work towards a safer and more caringcommunity

Provide a green and sustainableenvironment

Encourage a thriving local economy

Improve the quality of life for people inour District

Maintain and enhance our localheritage

Our Values –(the way we will work in pursuingthese objectives)

Be an open, accountable, listening and

responsive Council

Put the customer and citizen at theheart of everything we do, deliveringservices in a caring and sensitivemanner

Coordinate the management ofresources with an emphasis onsustainability

Value the contribution of partners,employees and citizens, trusting eachother and working collaboratively.

Whilst we recognise we do have somespecific strategic and service deliveryfunctions, we acknowledge that we cannotachieve our objectives alone. As acommunity leader, the Council has ambitiousplans for the development of the District andwill work with other partners andstakeholders, from the public sector, private,community and voluntary sectors to realiseour ambitions.

So given our vision,

what does the District

Council wish to see

achieved and what are

our priorities?

Our Objectives and Values


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1. Objective – Provide anexcellent, cost effectivefrontline service for all ourcustomers

Over the next five years, we will ...

• Deliver our Access to Services Strategy

• Deliver the Workforce Development Plan toimprove the Council’s leadership capacity,the skills and capacity of the workforce, theorganisation as a whole, be an exemplar ofgood practice in employment and offercompetitive pay and rewards.

• Utilise our partnership structures with otherpublic sector partners, private sector andthe voluntary sector to deliver continuousservice improvement at affordable costs.

• Aim to resolve 80% of our customerqueries at the first time they contact us andwork to ensure our customers get to theright person first time.

• Maintain our high customer satisfactionrates overall and in key service areas, andremain in the upper quartile nationallywhen compared to other local authorities.

By 2017

• Develop our website to ensure fullinteractivity so that our communities haveaccess to and influence the servicesprovided by the Council on their behalf.

2. Objective – Work towards asafer and more caringcommunity


• Through the Local Crime and DisorderReduction Partnership, achieve sustainablelevels of crime reduction by tackling crimeand the causes of crime, targeting specificissues, such as domestic violence, andparticular problem areas where appropriate.

• Through the Local Crime and DisorderReduction Partnership, develop initiatives,which, as well as addressing the specificissue of antisocial behaviour, help to reducethe fear of crime within the communitieswhich make up Rochford District.

• With Partners, implement a series ofinitiatives aimed at providing morealternative facilities specifically for youngpeople, with the intention to secure at leastone new facility per year.

• Ensure that community facilities provisionand access to these is considered in allnew major residential development.

• Continue to support the Disabled FacilitiesGrant process.

• Continue to support the Handyperson andHandygardening schemes for the elderly.

• Continue to support the Disabled TaxiVoucher scheme and Wyvern CommunityTransport.

Our Objectives



• Continue to support, develop and monitorRayleigh, Rochford and District Associationof Voluntary Services as the district-wideorganisation responsible for promoting anddeveloping the voluntary and communitysector in the District.

• Continue to support the STAR Partnershipas a key local delivery group in thevoluntary and community arena in terms ofdeveloping and progressing specific localcommunity initiatives.

• Continue to support the Local CitizensAdvice Bureau as an important local facilityfor the provision of impartial advice andguidance.

By 2017 ...

• Be perceived as the Safest District in theCounty.

• Work with our health partners, to ensurethat a new satellite health facility isdelivered in Rayleigh.

By 2021 ...

• Work with our health partners, ensuringthat a network of health service provision isdeveloped and accessible across theDistrict.

• Ensure a number of housing alternativesare in place to cater for the growth in theelderly population, with a range ofpackages of care and support on offer.

3. Objective – Provide a greenand sustainable environment


• Work on reducing the Council’s owncarbon dioxide emissions by 30% (basedupon 2005 baseline).

• Roll out the new contract for wastecollection and recycling from April 2008with a target of achieving at least a 50%recycling rate within the 5-year period.

• Through the Council’s Local DevelopmentFramework, ensure that the futuredevelopment of the District up to 2021 isplanned and carried out in a sustainablefashion.

By 2017 ...

• Implement an Adapting to Climate ChangeAction Plan, to drive action, monitoring andreview.

• Work on reducing the Council’s owncarbon dioxide emissions by 60%.

• Be seen as a key player locally in terms ofdelivering the sustainability agenda andinfluencing the decisions of both residentsand local employers on this agenda.

• Secure a recycling rate of at least 60% per year.

• Aid the County Council in identifying anddelivering a new recycling and wastemanagement centre for residents in theDistrict with improved access.

• Through the planning process, to havesecured many examples of high qualitydesign homes, that include water retentionand renewable energy features.

Our Objectives



4. Objective – Encourage athriving local economy


• Help deliver the potential of LondonSouthend Airport and its environs throughprovision of a Joint Area Action Plan inpartnership with Southend BoroughCouncil.

• Fund two major town centre studies ofHockley and Rochford to aid theregeneration of those two centres.

• Work with the County Council as highwayauthority, to look at potential solutions tothe current congestion problems across theDistrict to ensure the highway infrastructurebecomes ‘fit for purpose’ and at the sametime, discuss with them the public transportnetwork to ensure a more frequent, reliableand comprehensive system with betterlinkages between bus and rail.

• Through the Local DevelopmentFramework process, seek to developpolicies which result in the replacement ofthe old and poorly located industrialestates within the District. At the sametime, identify the provision of newemployment areas.

• Use the Local Development Frameworkprocess to secure the long-term future ofthe wharfage at Baltic Wharf as anemployment area and ensure thatappropriate access infrastructure is put inplace.

By 2017 ...

• Help promote the development of LondonSouthend Airport and its infrastructure as aregional airport facility catering for up to2.5 million passengers per year.

• Help to ensure that our Market Squaresand Town Centres provide the facilities thatour residents tell us they want so that wecan encourage and facilitate a thrivingcommunity.

By 2021 ...

• Secureimproved roadinfrastructureEast-Westthrough theDistrict witheasier accessto the A127 and A13.

• Secure improved road access to WallaseaIsland and Baltic Wharf.

• Secure improved public transport provisionthrough the Thames Gateway South EssexRapid Transit system.

• Achieve the relocation of poorly sitedindustrial estates away from housing areas.

• Secure the establishment of a newemployment park in the west of the Districtwith easy access onto the main transportnetworks.

Our Objectives



5. Objective – Improve theQuality of life for People inour District


• Develop the Council’s communication andconsultation framework to ensure that theviews of the wider community, and sectionswithin it who are not normally engaged, aretaken into account in the decision makingprocess.

• Develop our Access to Services strategyand its implementation to ensure that wehave taken into account the needs andpreferences of all sections of ourcommunity when designing and deliveringservices.

• Achieve level 3 of the Equality Standard forlocal government by September 2008, withthe aim of achieving level 5 by the end of2010.

• Develop the Council’s Area Committeestructure as a means of public engagementand communication.

• Develop further our partnership structuresto continually engage and respond to ourcommunities.

• Continue to refurbish our play areasthrough our rolling programme ofplayground improvements.

• Ensure that play provision and access to itis considered in all new major residentialdevelopments.

• Ensure that community facilities provisionand access to these is considered in allnew major residential developments.

• Expand Cherry Orchard Jubilee CountryPark both west and east, secure accessfrom Cherry Orchard link road and improvefootpath and cycle access.

• Continue to improve and upgrade ourparks and open spaces through a rollingprogramme of open space refurbishment

• Expand Sweyne Park to the area to therear of the new Rayleigh Leisure Centreand develop that area for new sports pitchprovision.

• Support the RSPB in its proposals tosecure the Wallasea Island wetlandsproject for bird watching and otherrecreation.

• Secure the delivery on average of 50affordable housing units per year throughthe auspices of Rochford HousingAssociation.

• Agree a Choice Based lettings policy forthe Council by October 2008.

• Proceed with and complete the extension toRochford Cemetery in Hall Road, Rochford.

By 2017 ...

• Secure a range of new mixed housingdevelopment on sites linked to localinfrastructure upgrades and connected topublic open space.

• Increase the recreational usage of theRoach Valley as a green lung by developmentof the Cherry Orchard and Hockley Woodsfootpaths and bridleway network.

Our Objectives



• Through working with Essex CountyCouncil, further develop the walking,cycleway and bridleway network within theDistrict, with a focus on opening up anddeveloping the access network alongsidethe rivers.

• Pursue green tourism initiatives withincreased provision of bed and breakfastand hotel accommodation to facilitatestaying in the countryside.

• Further develop the area for leisure,recreation and tourism to complementSouthend’s tourism offer.

By 2021 ...

• Ensure our ‘Green’ offer as part of ThamesGateway South Essex is easily identifiable.

• Seek to ensure that the Wallasea IslandWetlands project by RSPB is fullyoperational.

• See that further marina development issecure and operational on the RiverCrouch.

6. Objective – Maintain andenhance our local heritage


• Develop a rolling programme of events andactivities which celebrate our local heritageand culture.

• Further develop Rayleigh Windmill as acommunity heritage facility and its use forweddings and civil ceremonies.

• Utilise the Local Development Frameworkprocess to support and enhance our builtheritage of listed buildings andConservation Areas.

By 2017 ...

• Ensure that our ancient Market Squaresand town centres retain their charm andare developed in a way that will maintainand enhance our heritage.

• Develop ‘Heritage’ initiatives at appropriatelocations across the District as part of theDistrict’s tourism offer.

Our Objectives



This Vision to Reality document is a statement of this

Council's key aspirations.

It will be reviewed and updated annually to reflect

circumstances as they evolve and change. However,

it is useful to have in one document the Council's

thoughts at a particular point in time and we hope

readers find it informative.

March 2008

Our Vision



Rochford District CouncilCouncil Offices South StreetRochford Essex SS4 1BWTelephone: 01702 546366 Facsimile: 01702 545737Website: http://www.rochford.gov.uk

March 2008

Designed by Rochford District Council

Printed on recycled paper


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