Leigh Creek Realignment Feasibility Study

Introduction

Two Tree Island lies to the south west of Southend within the Thames Estuary and is

separated from the mainland by a stretch of water known as Leigh Creek. Two Tree Island is

currently a Country Park and a Local Nature Reserve and lies within an area of great

environmental importance, known for its populations of wildfowl and wading birds and

commercial shellfisheries. The tidal mudflats surrounding Two Tree Island are designated as

a Special Area of Protection (SPA), Ramsar site and National Nature Reserve. However, Two

Tree Island has a complex past with a legacy of contamination that presents a current threat to