About

Welcome to the Crouch Valley Coastal Communities Team (CVCCT). We're a passionate group dedicated to ensuring our beautiful coast is a vibrant and resilient coastal community.

Our team works to support and empower the coastal area, to ensure we thrive economically, socially and environmentally. Working together we strive to create a collaborative and connected place.

Our team is made up of local businesses and community representatives, government bodies and departments with a diverse range of expertise and experience.

 

Our Vision:

A prosperous coastline where economic growth flourishes alongside a sustainable environment and strong sense of community.

 

Our Objectives:

Boosting Business and the Economy - We aim to foster a diverse and thriving business landscape. This includes improving infrastructure, promoting employment opportunities, and investing in skills development.

Building Sustainable Communities - We believe in creating places where people want to live, work, and visit. This involves protecting our heritage, encouraging green tourism practices, and shaping the future of our coastal towns.

Protecting our Coast and Rivers - We recognize the importance of safeguarding our precious coastal and river environment. We actively address the effects of climate change and work diligently to conserve this vital ecosystem.

 

Moving Forward:

We're focusing our efforts on key areas to achieve our goals:

Enhancing the Tourist Experience - We're committed to making our coast an even more attractive destination for visitors. This means developing exciting new experiences while ensuring responsible tourism practices.

Protecting Our Waters - We're dedicated to improving water quality and safety for both residents and visitors.

Connecting Communities - We're passionate about creating accessible rights of way that allow everyone to enjoy our beautiful coastline.

Environmental Stewardship - We're actively working to improve our environment and protect our precious wildlife.

Spreading the Word - We believe strong communication is key. We're committed to promoting our coastal communities through effective publicity and marketing strategies. One of our activities was the production of a tourist informaiton film created by Ormiston Rivers Academy that highlights some of the things you can see and do in the Crouch Valley region, you can watch the video on YouTube here: ORA Coastal Project (youtube.com).

Get Involved!

The Coastal Communities Team thrives on the energy and expertise of our community members. We encourage residents, businesses, and organisations to join us in shaping a bright future for our coast. Email coastalcommunityteam@rochford.gov.uk to get involved.

 

Background: 

In July 2019, Rochford District Council became the accountable body of the Crouch Valley Coastal Community Team. The Terms of Reference can be found in the Related Content section. Minutes of the Steering Group are also available in the Related Content section. There is an open annual general meeting (AGM) each year and the next meeting will be held in November 2024.

The Annual Report for the period November 2022 - November 2023 (as reported at the AGM held on Tuesday, 21st November 2023) can now be viewed. This report also contains the notes of all the Steering Group meetings held during the same period.

On 11th March 2024, a meeting of the Steering Group agreed that the RCCCT be renamed to ‘Crouch Valley Coastal Community’.

Background – Originally the group was formed after being awarded a £10,000 grant by the then Department for Communities & Local Government (DCLG) to set up a Coastal Community Team (CCT) for the River Crouch inc. the River Roach. Part of the funding required the group to produce an economic action plan for the River Crouch to ensure its economic prosperity going forward, this was refreshed in 2017.

The group are also stakeholders in the Essex Path to Prosperity project run by Essex County Council and the Natural England Coastal Path project, both of which are operating across the districts of Chelmsford City, Maldon and Rochford Districts. More information about these projects can be found at Crouch Valley Coastal Community | Rochford Council.

Part of the teams on-going work is to promote the River Crouch to visitors and therefore we invite you to download both the River Crouch Visitors Guide and Crouch Walks – South of the River, in the Related Content section.

If you have an interest in the River Crouch and would like to join the Crouch Valley CCT, please contact us using this email addresses - coastalcommunityteam@rochford.gov.uk.