OUTDOOR dining on the High Street, another “iconic” bridge over River Chelmer and a restaurant and visitor centre at Promenade Park are on the cards for Maldon.

Last year Allies and Morrison won a tender to draw up the proposals for a masterplan to transform the centre of Maldon and Heybridge.

Workshops were held to gather opinions from traders and a draft plan compiled.

Maldon District Council’s planning and licensing committee has now been asked to approve amendments to the plan ahead of it going out to public consultation.

A total of 18 projects will be invested in to improve the area.

They include work to improve the lower end of the High Street by creating an environment for outdoor dining and improving shopfronts.

New signs and an information point are proposed for Butt Lane car park, as well as more signs across the whole town.

On Hythe Quay the council will look to create a new seasonal food market, while a visitor centre and restaurant is planned for Promenade Park.

Other proposals include a new “iconic” bridge over the River Chelmer from Maldon to Heybridge Creek.

The draft masterplan set to go before the committee said land for the bridge had been “secured in principle” on the north side through the Sadd’s Wharf development.

Along the North Quay area a new quayside walk, flanked by shops and businesses, is a “long term aspiration”.

It added: “The bridge, whilst providing a key pedestrian and cycle connection across the River Chelmer to better link Maldon with Heybridge, would become an attraction in its own right, offering a new and unique perspective on the estuary with views downstream towards the Battle of Maldon site and Northey Island.”

Suzie Pugh, who runs Suzie’s in High Street, said: “We were talking about it the other day, saying the lower end of the High Street needs to have a few brave businesses — something interesting — down there to start making people go there.

Maldon and Burnham Standard:

"It might be worthwhile the council offering some incentive such as cheaper rent to get people in there and over their first year and also help encourage interest.”

Mrs Pugh said new signs would help people find their way from the High Street to Promenade Park.

She added: “We have still got people coming in during the summer asking where the water is.

“They just won’t know if they are tourists.”

The proposals 

1. High Street: Improvements to road and pavements, feature lighting and removal of street “clutter”.

2. Lower High Street: Encourage a wider range of non-retail uses

Maldon and Burnham Standard:

3. Butt Lane car park: New signs and information point

4. Hythe Quay: Complete Historic Waterfront Revival feasibility study, new seasonal food market, landscaping and public realm improvements, improve signs, lighting and public realm along links to Promenade Park, conversion and reuse of unused buildings

5. Maldon Riverside Path: Improved signs, and links to the riverside route, improvements to the quayside with reduction in parking and temporary kiosks, broadwalk structure connecting Anchorage Hill and Chandler’s Quay

6. North Quay: Mixed- use development which enhances quayside and new Quayside walk connecting Sadd’s Wharf and Heybridge Creekside

7. New bridge: New foot bridge as part of Sadd’s Wharf development

8. The Causeway Corridor: Landscaping of large roundabouts and introduction of trees

9. Heybridge Creek: Re-establish walking/cycle route

10. Enterprise Centre: Prepare business plan for new flexible centre with Invest in Essex to develop suitable site (probably Leigh Industrial Estate).

11. Leigh Industrial Estate: Mixed-use redevelopment

12. The Causeway Strategic Flooding Review

13. Wyndham Heron and the Roothings: Mixed-use re-development

14. The Street and Benbridge Industrial Estates: Mixed-use re-development and improvements to the public realm of Heybridge Parish Centre

15. Destination Hub – combined visitor centre and specialist restaurant. Improve links between Promenade Park and Hythe Quay

16. Promenade Park Management plan: Comprehensive plan for next decade, addressing issues including car parking, Park and Ride/ Stride, future facilities, relocation of the Civic Amenity Site and connections

17. Blackwater Estuary Moorings: Creation of new pier/jetty for additional moorings to support more traditional boats and day trippers

18. Coastal path and connections with Northey Island: Draw visitors towards National Trust attractions