An ambitious new long-term plan has been adopted by council leaders in a bid to bring big improvements to Jaywick Sands.

Tendring District Council’s (TDC) Cabinet adopted the Jaywick Sands Place Plan at a meeting on Friday, 20 September.

The Place Plan is a long-term strategy for area, which includes a mixture of suggested ‘quick win’ actions as well as a wider vision spanning 20 years.

Andy Baker, TDC Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, said it was important that the plan reflects the views of the community.

“This is an ambitious but clear long-term vision for Jaywick Sands to improve the area for the good of all,” he said.

“Jaywick Sands is a unique place with an incredible community spirit, and we have carried out a series of consultations and workshops to ensure the plan reflects the community’s views – we want to take this journey together.

“The plans are not something we can deliver alone, either in terms of cost or powers – but it is a document we can take to public and private investors.

“The overall objective of the Place Plan is to improve the quality of life for the residents by tackling the challenges the area faces - such as housing quality, flood risk and job opportunities.

“But it also has some quick wins to immediately improve the lives of those living here, such as traffic calming measures.

“TDC and its and partners have done much to tackle the challenges in Jaywick Sands in recent years, including improving roads and building new homes, and most recently the Sunspot development, which has been an outstanding success and is quickly becoming a hub for the community.”

Short-term ‘quick wins’ in the plan include making Brooklands a one-way street to tackle traffic issues, as well as improving access for all to the beach and improving parks and children’s amenities, gardens, alleyways and bus stops.

Longer-term strategic aims include a new approach to housing, including bringing vacant and derelict plots back into use, as well as looking to securing funding for improved flood defences that protect the community without blocking access and sight of the beach – one of Jaywick Sands biggest assets – as well as better access and more space for seafront cycle paths.

The cost of delivering everything in the plan over two decades is estimated at £126million and the plan sets out where this will require external funding. Of this total, £108million (86%) is the estimated price tag of the flood defence work.

Residents were consulted on an initial version of the plan in 2022 before a second consultation into the latest version of the document concluded earlier this year.

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