Policy information sourced from Thurrock Core Strategy and Policies for Management of Development

CSSP5 – SUSTAINABLE GREENGRID

It is the policy of the Council and its Partners to:

A) Deliver the Greengrid Strategy as part of the Thurrock Core Strategy Infrastructure Prioritisation and Implementation Plan and the Adopted Statutory Development Plan

  • Ensure that all development proposals take account of the objectives of the Greengrid network and where appropriate contribute to the management and enhancement of the Greengrid.
  • Deliver the area based Greengrid Improvement Zones to ensure that the location, planning, design and ongoing management of sites is appropriate, and that opportunities are sought to make best use of land and green infrastructure assets in delivering ecosystem services.
  • Set out guidance for the delivery of Thurrock Greengrid in the Thurrock Greengrid Supplementary Planning Document.
  • Ensure the Thurrock Greengrid is delivered by Developer Contributions as necessary.
  • Provide opportunities for skills development, education and public awareness-raising on the value and importance of the Greengrid.

B) The Greengrid will be delivered at a spatial level through a series of 8 Greengrid Improvement Zones. The Improvement Zones are listed below:

  • Aveley and South Ockendon (Including Thames Chase)
  • Mardyke Valley
  • West Thurrock/Lakeside/Chafford
  • Purfleet
  • North Grays & Chadwell St Mary
  • Grays Riverside/ Tilbury
  • East Thurrock / Rural Riverside
  • Stanford-le-hope/ Corringham/ Horndon/ Langdon Hills

Across the borough, considerations will include:

  • Semi-natural green space
  • Multifunctional greenspace
  • Promotion and safeguarding of biodiversity and geodiversity
  • Urban and rural trees and woodlands
  • Historic Environment and Heritage assets
  • Ecosystem services opportunities
  • Strategic links and bridging points
  • Flood Risk and water management
  • Mitigation of and adaptation to effects of climate change through the use of natural systems and green infrastructure assets
  • Strategic views
  • Broad landscape management areas

C) Develop and protect Local Scale Assets

The Council will promote and protect Local-scale assets including any Local Green Spaces identified in local plans or neighbourhood plans that contribute to Thurrock’s sustainable Greengrid including:

  • Doorstep sites, play areas, amenity open spaces and allotments, which are often local sites within urban areas and villages and the first link to the wider setting;
  • Local green links, which provide vital routes for people to access local sites and the wider Rights of Way and Safe Routes to School network;
  • Registered commons and villages and town greens;
  • Biodiversity interests and local nature reserves, such as Linford Wood and Grove House Wood;
  • Local productive land, including local allotments, community gardens and commercial small-holdings involved in supplying local food or craft resources.

Development within Local Green Spaces will not be permitted unless there are very special circumstances. The Council envisages these circumstances will include where such development would support the functional value of such spaces without detracting from the visual qualities which the community may value.

D) In addition to the above actions, specifically support the objectives of the Greater Thames Marshes Nature Improvement Area by taking account of any core areas and buffer zones, corridors and stepping stones, restoration areas, and locations for priority action which may in due course be identified by the project plans of the Nature Improvement Area Partnership.

E) Promote productive land and natural system opportunities

The Council and Partners will promote productive land and natural systems opportunities (soils, bio and geo diversity), including:

  • current allotments
  • agricultural/rural lands
  • the potential for biomass cropping in the northeast of Thurrock
  • potential co-firing using biomass fuels in the Tilbury area
  • the potential use of the Thames Chase Community Forest area for sustainable management of wood fuel.

Key diagrams and Maps

Map 3 provides an indicative illustration of the elements of the Thurrock Greengrid. The precise location and extent of the Greengrid sites and the designated Greater Thames Marshes Nature Improvement Area will be identified in the forthcoming Thurrock Local Plan.

For more information please see the Core Strategy and Policies for Management of Development