Essex Wildlife Trust has submitted plans to create a 20 hectares wetland habitat for wildfowl and waders at Blue House Farm nature reserve in Fambridge.

The proposal, submitted to Maldon District Council, would create wetland habitat for breeding and overwintering the birds.

The plans, which will be decided by the council's North Western Area Planning Committee next Wednesday, 10 March, state: "The aim of the project is to create areas of shallow flooding and standing water that seasonally dry out, creating muddy, splashy, wet grassland habitat for a range of birds."

The site is located within the trust's current nature reserve at Blue House Farm, east of North Fambridge. Access to the area concerned is via Blue House Farm Chase, which has a public footpath linking Fambridge Road to the north with the sea wall footpath to the south. There is a footpath into the reserve from Blue House Farm Chase.

The plans include construction of an earth bund measuring 2,140 metres in length which would be located around the perimeter of the site. The bund would be 0.5 metres high and 4m wide with a maximum crest level of 2.45 metres.

Approximately 3,000m of foot drains/ditches are also proposed around and through the site. Agricultural land drains at the edge of the site would be broken-up and a concrete, boarded sluice would be constructed on the southern boundary of the site with a predator fence to keep foxes out.

Both Purleigh Parish Council and North Fambridge Parish Council support the plans and Maldon District Council officer recommend approval, subject to conditions which include an archeological survey of the site in advance of the work going ahead.