Wethersfield Essex Mega Prison Alternative opportunity

Big Green Internet Great Maplestead cluster

Grays Farm rewilding North Essex Farm Cluster

Wethersfield Airfield A green infrastructure opportunity The missing piece in the green corridor jigsaw

The opportunity • Wethersfield Airfield is surrounded by ‘green corridor’ initiatives: the North Essex Farm Cluster*; Big Green Internet’s tree-planting and Grays Farm’s rewilding.

• It is the missing piece in what could be an extraordinary nature recovery network: a 322-hectare site, of which 272 is unspoilt green space**.

• There is community support for habitat creation, renewables, leisure opportunities, green jobs and a heritage centre.

• There is potential revenue from nature-based solutions, renewables & visitor activities. * NORTH ESSEX FARM CLUSTER - Home (weebly.com) & Home (thebiggreeninternet.co.uk) & Wildfell Centre for Environmental Recovery (ground-control.co.uk) **The ‘technical site’, with MoD houses & buildings, may be available as a development opportunity. C50 hectares. In acres that’s 795 acres, of which 672 is green space.)

The missing piece in the green corridor jigsaw

Cluster coordinator funding agreed

Uttlesford

North Essex Farm Cluster (Pant & Blackwater)

Grays Farm rewilding

Work in progress

Braintree

Big Green Internet Great Maplestead cluster

22,000 trees planted

Work has already started on ‘green corridors’ all around the airfield

Habitats & species on the airfield • • • • • • • •

Meadowland with skylarks, lapwings, snipe, meadow pipits, bee orchids Scrubland with turtle doves Small ponds/interceptors with Great Crested Newts Patch of ancient woodland (Park Wood, hornbeam, mixed oak & ash) remaining from before WW2 75,000 new trees & shrubs planted – the only Jubilee Wood in Essex 74 species of birds, many on International 'Red & Amber endangered and protected lists.

401 species of invertebrates (including 4 UKBAP, 3 RDB, 4 Na, 11 Nb, 7 N, 77 Local) 354 species of plants (283 flowering/71 mosses & liverworts)

Priority habitat: ‘Open Mosaic’ The site meets ‘Open Mosaic habitat’ criteria set out by DEFRA in 2009 and also in the BNG Metric 3.0. Those criteria are set out below. The site should be registered as Open Mosaic with Natural England: 1.

It is over 0.25ha

2.

There is a known history of disturbance & extraneous materials have been added (runways)

3.

The site contains some vegetation. This includes c) lichens f) open grassland and g) flower-rich grassland h) heath

4.

The site contains unvegetated bare substrate & pools

5.

The site shows spatial variation, forming a mosaic of habitats. The invertebrate study carried out in 2011 identified grasslands and early successional habitats developed on nutrient poor substrates, dry grassland areas including elements more typically associated with calcareous and acid grasslands, as well as lichen heath. Other grasslands at the site developed on calcareous boulder clay and have features in common with Lowland Calcareous Grassland and Lowland Meadows. The flowering plant study carried out in 2012 found that the most unusual flowering plants on the list occur on the old concrete runways, in the low management grassland area of the Bomb dump, and in the north eastern corner, again an area of low management. A further oasis of unusual species occurs on the old cinder based area to the west of the administration block. The runway edges and gaps host local grasses and saxifrage.

There is also ancient woodland, 75,000 trees in the Jubilee Wood, and significant areas of scrub.

History & heritage • The site is one of the highest ranking of 400 in a Historic England survey of airfields.

Buildings of significant heritage interest have recently been identified by a heritage consultant.

• WW2 and Cold War. Wethersfield Airfield was the site of first retaliation in the event of nuclear attack from Russia, bomber at the ready 24/7 • The area was much loved by the famous Great Bardfield artists. Ravilious lived in a house in Wethersfield (the current owner is involved in the Wild Wethersfield project) • There are remains of a house dated 1066. Coins indicate links with the Knights Templar • There is a possibility of a Roman Road across the site – further information being sought • Palaeo-environmental deposits are likely to survive within the Pant valley. Other airfields have yielded interesting archaeological finds.

Green infrastructure for people • Image supplied by SWAP (Stop Wethersfield Airfield Prisons) • There is strong public support for a country park, heritage centre, protection of nature and green jobs

• The area has a deficit in green infrastructure identified by Essex County Council

How to realise the opportunity The Ministry of Defence (via the Defence Infrastructure Organisation) is disposing of Wethersfield Airfield.

It is required to offer the site to the public sector.

A public sector-led consortium, perhaps with private input, could be formed and make an offer to purchase the airfield.

There are private sector buyers interested already.

How to realise the opportunity • Funding from ECC? Ownership of the airfield would: • meet north Braintree/Uttlesford’s Green Infrastructure deficit (identified by ECC in 2021) • help meet the Essex Climate Commission targets for the Blackwater Catchment

• Funding from BDC? • To meet its climate targets

• Funding from Natural England?

• Protects an Open Mosaic i.e. priority habitat.

• Achieves all NE aims including Nature Recovery & people connected to the natural environment

• Additional private funding? Buyers interested.

• Site valuation? Likely c£7k an acre, c£5m for the undeveloped part of the site?

Wethersfield Airfield

The ‘technical site’: MOD buildings & houses

Big Green Internet Great Maplestead cluster

North Essex Farm Cluster

Grays Farm rewilding

Wethersfield Airfield Let’s make it for wildlife and people