The RAF Hornchurch
Project is funded entirely by the Aggregates Levy Sustainability
Fund (ALSF) through a grant awarded to London Borough of Havering
specifically for this work.
The ALSF was established in April 2002 in order to help offset
the environmental effects of aggregates extraction, particularly
in aggregates-producing areas. It is distributed on behalf
of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(DEFRA) by English Heritage, as well as a number of other
bodies such as Natural England, and although it was initially
a two-year pilot study it has now been extended twice to run
at least up to March 2008.
Grants are awarded from the fund to support projects which
meet some or all of the set ALSF criteria:
- to develop the capacity to manage aggregate extraction
landscapes in the future;
- to deliver to public and professional audiences the full
benefits of knowledge gained through past work in advance
of aggregates extraction;
- to reduce the physical impacts of current extraction where
these lie beyond current planning controls and the normal
obligations placed on minerals operators;
- to address the effects of old mineral planning permissions;
- to promote understanding of the conservation issues arising
from the impacts of aggregates extraction on the historic
environment.
Hornchurch Country Park is an ideal candidate for an ALSF
grant due to the large scale aggregates extraction undertaken
in the area since the 1960s. The current project qualifies
for an ALSF grant on a number of grounds particularly through:
- the development of a management plan for an sites, landscapes
and structures in an area damaged by aggregates extraction
(Hornchurch Country Park).
- increasing local awareness of the history and significance
of the site in order to encourage the local community to
value, care for and protect the heritage of the area
- the development of proposals for future interpretation
to tie into London Borough of Havering’s long-term
museums strategy
- programme of outreach to directly engage with local people
and increase understanding of the heritage of the area
- the involvement of local community groups in the project
to foster a sense of place and identity, a sense of pride
and ownership
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