Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project
This is the first in a series of newsletters detailing the progress on our exciting project to restore the Wild
Coast of Essex. The RSPB’s plans for Wallasea Island will produce a landmark conservation, landscape
restoration and engineering project for the 21st century on a scale never before attempted in the UK. It
will be the largest of its type in Europe, and will create a fabulous place for people as well as for wildlife.
Recent news:
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We attended an open meeting at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club on 17 th April. This meeting,
attended by 65 people, focussed on recent progress, leading to a lively Q&A session covering a
range of issues. If you’d like us to come and speak to a group you’re involved in, please contact
me using the details below.
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We’re working with the Crouch Harbour Authority to make sure that ships bringing materials to
the island don’t have an impact during peak sailing times. We are grateful to Edwin Buckley for
facilitating significant progress on this key issue.

On 24th April 2009, Essex County Council, gave the project the go-ahead, subject to the Secretary
of State not calling in the application. We also need to finalise a legal agreement, and several
planning conditions, before we can say the project has all the green lights it needs.

If everything goes according to plan, we expect to begin some small-scale work in July this year.
This will involve creating new habitat for water voles – one of the rarest mammals in Europe –
and planning the access routes for conveyors that will carry material away from ships and onto
the island. After this, we anticipate installing the unloading facility in Spring 2010, with the start
of the main works from summer 2010. More details will follow nearer the time.
Chris Tyas Wallasea Island Project Manager
Please contact me:
1, Old Hall Lane, Tolleshunt D’Arcy, Maldon. CM9 8TP
chris.tyas@rspb.org.uk
**** Newsletter No 1 / Spring 2009 ****