Thames Freeport - Britain's Trading Future

[ 105 ] SEE Park will provide an extraordinary parkland setting that encompasses all of South Essex, bringing environmental, social and economic value to the regional offer. Covering one-third of South Essex at 23,000ha — in line with the government’s aim of protecting 30 per cent of England’s countryside by 2030 — it comprises five large-scale landscapes, selected because of their capacity to performmultiple functions. As well as providing the physical landscape improvements, SEE Park will support economic growth through accelerating the transition to net zero carbon and providing carbon- offsetting opportunities for businesses, promoting eco-tourism, green job creation and recovery, as well as presenting a scalable and replicable green investment model to create a high-value investment proposition. This highlights that the green and blue benefits are multi-faceted, with the potential to change several aspects of people’s lives — where and how they live, where and how they play, where and how they work and ultimately, whether they want to stay. The Covid pandemic has made many people re-assess their priorities, their work-life balance and future ambitions. It has made people look and feel differently about their local area and place of work, appreciating the importance of fresh air and getting out of the house/office. SEE Park will mean that people will be able to leave their front door or workplace, start walking and within 300 metres everyone will have at least one high quality green space. They will be able to cycle from every doorstep to the countryside and to work. For the more adventurous, there will be a continuous coastal path stretching 70 km from Tilbury Fort to Shoeburyness. What ASELA showcases through its collaborative leadership is the power that working together can produce for the benefit of so many aspects of society. It doesn’t have to be the case that you can only ever please either businesses or local communities but seldom both. Thames Freeport is key to driving forward these plans across the Thames Estuary and in particular South Essex. And ASELA’s plan for South Essex does everything it can to maximise opportunities from the Thames Freeport outcomes: • Excellent and contemporary digital infrastructure including 5G and connectivity that will see businesses want to invest in the area and start successful and productive enterprises • Improved connectivity and public transport, underpinned by investment in active travel projects, that will benefit people’s health and wellbeing as well as provide major environmental benefits • Unlocked housing sites to deliver accelerated development seeing new quality homes, neighbourhoods and communities brought to South Essex and enhancing amenities for existing local residents • Investment in green and blue infrastructure to enable new parks and river walks, supporting active use of environmental assets, adding to biodiversity, health and wellbeing outcomes, while supporting active and thriving communities • Improved skills across the region from school-aged children through to adult training, upskilling and reskilling, ensuring that the current and future workforce can access productive and highly skilled jobs, that both they and local employers want and need. ASELA continues to make significant progress across its five anchor programmes to deliver growth and prosperity for all residents and businesses across South Essex. Its plans are unique in their breadth, depth, collaboration and courage. And Thames Freeport is the catalyst — a complete game changer that will drive economic growth across South Essex, across the Thames Estuary and significantly contribute to the growth of the UK economy. www.southessex.org.uk Follow us on Twitter: @ASELASouthEssex or on LinkedIn ASELA’s plan for South Essex does everything it can to maximise opportunities from the Thames Freeport outcomes Basildon