Community Impacts

Langdon Hills Country Park (L.H.C.P.) is a vital local resource, the importance of which it is difficult to describe as it is valued by so many people in so many different ways. The Park is one of the largest assets Thurrock Council controls, consisting of 400 acres including ancient woodlands, SSSI wildflower meadows, and has an 'access for all' path and many miles of bridleway and cycle paths linking to the wider
countryside and living landscapes.

The park holds the Green Flag and Outdoor for Learning National Awards. Many of the events on the Park attract overwhelming demand, such as Santa In The Woods, tickets for which usually sell out within a few days of going on sale. The park also provides a wide range of national curriculum activities and other out of school activities.

The Park's spectacular bluebell woods featured in the winning entry in a national photography competition organised by the BBC programme Countryfile.

2013 Winning Photo (countryfile.com) - See article here.

Thurrock Council advertises L.H.C.P. on its web-site giving a high-level overview.
See:
https://www.thurrock.gov.uk/langdon-hills-country-park/overview

Surveys undertaken in Langdon Hills Country Parks have measured that there are in excess of 400,000 visitors to the parks in a single year!

Before we look at the potential consequences of the proposed changes we need to look at some of the many groups that benefit from using the Park:

• Walkers / Ramblers
• Dog Walkers / Dog Trainers
• Running Groups
• Cyclists
• Bird / Nature watchers
• Children in Play areas
• Photographers
• Re-enactment groups
• Horse riders
• Teachers and schoolchildren
• Orienteering groups
• Fitness groups
• Uniformed groups
• Families – picnics etc.
• Event organisers
• Disabled –  Westley Heights Access for All pathways

……. this list is far from comprehensive and in no particular order or priority.

Annual Mountain Bike Race at the Country Park, to be discontinued. See article on last year's race.

It must be emphasised that the exercise to analyse the Council proposals has been undertaken in a very short time-scale and a far greater number of issues will be identified once the general public and media are made aware and become involved. However, the points raised in the Action Group's Report are of huge significance, against Government and Thurrock Council’s own policies, with such horrendous impacts for the community that we cannot believe that Thurrock Council can proceed with the plans as currently understood.

It should also be noted that as conditions in the Parks deteriorate and the local community suffers, there will inevitably be pressure on other local authority services, for example:

• The Police will have to handle increases in local crimes such as vandalism, theft, burglary , muggings, squatters, disturbances of the peace etc. etc.
• The NHS – no doubt the Parks would become havens for drug-users, unmaintained / unsupervised areas resulting in more accidents, particularly for adventurous children. With uncut grasses there will be significant risk from hidden hazards such as broken glass and Adder bites. A  healthy adder population already exists in the Parks but currently performed grass maintenance minimises the risks.
• The Fire Services – particularly in summer months, the meadows in particular become severe fire risks. If the grasses / hay remains uncut and there is no Ranger presence there will undoubtedly be, if not deliberate arson, accidental fires from campers / people having outdoor barbeques

(extracts from Action Group Report, section 4.2 Health & Safety Implications and Risks.Click to view the full Report)