Wivenhoe Open Spaces, Play areas and Sport fields – further information

The Borough has a strongly worded policy (DP 15) which protects open spaces from development. Open Spaces can be quite large tracts of land including parks and nature reserves; they can be children’s play areas; they can be sports fields; they can be small areas within the built up area which provide a local amenity or which are important for the visual appearance of the townscape. They can be publicly or privately owned.

The various agricultural fields around Wivenhoe (including the “green wedge” between Wivenhoe and the University) are important to us and there will be policies to protect these but they do not come under the Open Spaces policy.

As part of the Neighbourhood Plan Open Spaces need to be recorded on the eventual Wivenhoe proposals map. It is also necessary to give a justification for designating areas as open spaces. A map is given below which identifies potential and currently designated areas. Most of the identified sites are already designated by the Borough as Open Spaces and all of these are included with the exception of part of the land beside Broadfields which is being suggested as a housing site and a small area behind Croquet Gardens which is also being suggested for housing.

The Borough classification of open spaces is a bit confusing. Areas shown on the map as Open Space are not necessarily publicly owned but are given protection from development by the Borough’s policy DP15 on open spaces and sports facilities. Indeed quite a lot of the land shown as public open land on the map is privately owned. To justify its inclusion and prevent it being proposed for development it is important that we have evidence of its importance to the community.

There are some smaller areas/sports facilities which are not shown on the current Borough map of open spaces and it is here where it would be particularly useful to have feedback from the public and some help to justify their inclusion. The additions have tried to reflect views in the survey and at the consultation day and partly based on footwork going around Wivenhoe. The table below lists all the open spaces and sports fields which it is suggested should be included on our own Wivenhoe Proposals Map and note which ones are in addition to those shown on the current Borough Map.

OPEN SPACES, PLAY AREAS AND SPORTS FACILITIES

Site Name	Type	Area ha	Comment
Boudicca Walk	Open Space	0.16
The Nook	Open Space	0.04
The Nook	Open Space	0.01	The small area on Valley Road side has been added
Nottage Close	Open Space	0.2
Bobbit’s Way	Open Space	0.3	Part of this is private,(0.16,) and part public amenity space (0.14)
Bowes Road	Open Space	0.29	Land opposite Millfields School
Colne Estuary	Open Space	32.2	Wivenhoe Woods and KGV fields
Ferry Marsh	Open Space	7.11	Nature reserve and some privately owned land
Land behind Cricket Club	Open Space	13.9	Privately owned, several permissive footpaths
Land adjacent to Broad Lane	Open Space	6.15	Privately owned
Hereward Close	Open Space	0.15	Amenity Space,Addition to Borough map
Turner Close/ Milford Close	Open Space	0.07	Amenity Space, Addition to Borough map
Trinity Close	Open Space	0.04	Amenity Space, Addition to Borough map
Denham Close	Open Space	0.04	Amenity Space, Addition to Borough map
Sandford Close	Open Space	0.03	Amenity Space, Addition to Borough map
Triangle at the Co-op	Open Space	0.01	Important to townscape, addition to Borough map
Smith’s Corner	Open Space	0.08	Important to townscape, pedestrian route; Addition to Borough map
Henrietta Close	Open Space	1.18	Addition to Borough map
Mede Way	Play Area	0.2
Henrietta Close	Play area	0.7	Addition to Borough map
Lower Lodge	Play area	1.19
KGV play area	Play area	0.17
Cooks Shipyard	Play Area	0.12	Addition to Borough map
Broad Lane	Sports pitch	8.09
Cricket Club	Sports pitch	1.59
Bowls club	Sports	0.12	Addition to Borough list
Phillip Road Court	Sports/ Youth	0.05	Addition to Borough list
Millfields School	School playing fields	0.96
Broomgrove School	School playing fields	1.35

All the sites are shown on the map below (or download a printable version here)

 Please help us gather evidence of use or value placed in these sites either by completing the form below the map, or emailing us on wivenhoe.npsg@gmail.com or dropping things into Wivenhoe Town Hall (please leave your contact details so we can return evidence).