A new 270-hectare (667.2-acre) wetland nature reserve is set to be created in Essex as the result of a partnership between the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Veolia Environmental Services (VES).

The RSPB has secured a 150-year peppercorn lease agreement with the London-based waste management company to establish the new reserve on land adjoining the Pitsea landfill site, which will also be opened up to the public. Plans for the creation of a sustainable wetland system on the south Essex marshes will include a number of habitats, such as extensive wet grassland and a tidal lagoon, while existing reedbeds will be extended attract a range of bird and waterfowl species.

The project, which also forms part of the South Essex Green Grid strategy and Thames Gateway Parklands schemes, will also include the restoration of the Pitsea site to provide further nature conservation uses and to support nationally rare species. VES chief executive Paul Levett said: "The land covered by this new lease will form part of the 15 square kilometre 'green lung' of the South Essex Marshes. We welcome the active involvement of the RSPB in building on the 20 years of restoration already completed at our Pitsea landfill."

John Baron, MP for Billericay and District, added: "The new project will be a fun resource for the whole family and help to raise awareness of conservation issues. This ambitious scheme will really help to put the Essex Marshes back on the map." Image: Alan Shearman - RSPB