Rayleigh and Wickford MP Mark Francois recently visited Wallasea Island on the Essex coast to see for himself the RSPB’s ambitious plans to turn the island into a bird and wildlife reserve. On his visit Mark met with both Chris Tyas, the Island’s Project Manager and John Sharpe RSPB’s Conservation Manager to discuss different aspects of the project including, its potential benefits for tourism and the environment.
The Wallasea Island project seeks to turn over 1,500 acres of low lying farmland back into costal marshland. The project will make use of freshly cut clay from the new Crossrail link in London in order to reshape some parts of the island, allowing the area to be safely flooded, to create a mixture of mudflats and lagoons ideal for rare costal birds.
Speaking after his visit to Wallasea, Rayleigh and Wickford MP Mark Francois MP said:
“I was very impressed by the plans I saw for Wallasea. The island is already an impressive site but could become one of the largest costal wildlife projects in England. There is great potential in this project not only to protect rare and endangered birds and the environment but also to benefit local businesses by attracting tourists to the area. The RSPB are committed to minimising any impact to local people from the construction work and will ensure flood defences for local residents are maintained. This ambitious project could bring great benefits to our area and I am therefore happy to give it my support.”