Council leaders have described £20million of projects to help regenerate Clacton and Jaywick Sands as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.

Tendring District Council’s (TDC) Cabinet has backed a whole host of schemes aimed at regenerating the town as part of a new Community Regeneration Partnership with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The council’s Cabinet approved the list of 15 projects and a delivery programme at a meeting on Friday, 20 December.

The projects include £3million to help improve Clacton Leisure Centre to become a new Active Wellbeing Centre and £2million for the NHS to contribute towards building a new urgent treatment centre and primary care facility at Clacton Hospital.

It also includes working with Essex County Council on a proposed £2.5million scheme to expand the Tudor Fields to Jaywick Sands walking and cycling route, which could also serve as an evacuation route and £5million for acquiring and repurposing a disused town centre building for community and cultural use.

Speaking at the meeting, Councillor Ivan Henderson, Deputy Leader of TDC and Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, Regeneration and Tourism, said: “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver transformative interventions across our district.

“These projects will significantly improve the quality of life, access to opportunities and health and wellbeing of our residents.

“The projects chosen by government ministers for investment have been developed through community engagement and include initiatives like improvements to Clacton town centre and the seafront public realm, improvements to open spaces in Jaywick Sands, repurposing disused buildings on the seafront to create an arts community micro venue and refurbishing and repurposing Martello Tower E.”

The council’s Cabinet approved the start of work on the first of four waves of projects as well as £100,000 to create a cultural masterplan for the town centre.

The first set of projects include £500,000 for a seafront art and community micro venue, £500,000 to improve tired shopfronts, £210,000 to provide three new community transport mini-buses and £200,000 to expand the work of the Jaywick Sands Healthy Homes initiative, which will help towards the acquisition of derelict and long-term vacant sites.

The second wave of projects is set to be brought to Cabinet for approval in early 2025.

TDC is working closely with Essex County Council, which aims to secure formal approval for a number of the schemes it will be leading on early in the new year.

These include the £1.3million town centre and seafront public realm improvements, a £230,000 project for upgrading and improving bus stops and shelters on bus routes and a £200,000 scheme to equip the planned skills centre at the Clacton Library site.

Councillor Lee Scott, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Regeneration, said: “This is an exciting package of proposals for Clacton and Jaywick Sands. The proposed improvements will make a difference to the lives of residents by improving sustainable transport connections, upgrading the public realm in Clacton town centre and creating opportunities for residents to learn new skills.  

“We are pleased to be working with Tendring District Council on the proposals, which tie in closely with wider regeneration plans for the area.

“We look forward to engaging directly with residents on the proposed projects as they move forward.”