Jaywick Sands consultation seeking views on £120m regeneration

17 November 2023

Shivani Chaudhari and Lois WorrowBBC News, Essex

News image — The council suggests making Brooklands at Jaywick Sands a one-way street

HAT Projects Architect's artist impression for Jaywick Sands — The council suggests making Brooklands at Jaywick Sands a one-way street

People can soon give their views on a £120m plan aimed at regenerating an Essex seaside village.

Tendring District Council (TDC) said its Place Plan consultation for Jaywick Sands would go live later this month.

The proposals being put forward include improving beach access, but also installing new flood defences over the next 20 years.

Jaywick Sands has been identified by government as the most deprived neighbourhood in England.

Andy Baker, the independent TDC cabinet member for planning and housing, said: "This is a vision and ambition for what Jaywick Sands could be in the future."

Laurence Cawley/BBC Humber Lane, Jaywick — Jaywick Sands was identified as England's most deprived neighbourhood in the government's Indices of Deprivation for 2010, 2015 and 2019

HAT Projects Artist impression of Jaywick regeneration — Jaywick began as a holiday resort, but homes became permanent residences after World War Two

TDC said the estimated project cost would require external funding and that £84m of it would be set aside for flood defences.

The proposed short-term projects included plans to make Brooklands a one-way street, improvements to parks and gardens and improved footpaths and bus stops.

A £5.3m covered market and business centre named Sunspot opened at Jaywick in September.

False dawns

Danell Dreelan, who has lived in the village for nearly 20 years, told BBC Essex she feared the consultation would be pointless and that previous regeneration efforts had not produced "any improvement".

"The main change I would like to see is that the residents are put first. We are never listened to," she said.

"The one thing I do agree with is the one-way system - that does need to be addressed dramatically. But that's been on the cards for many years."

People in Jaywick were asked about life in the seaside town in 2020

Ms Dreelan said the village had a great community spirit.

"It's a different way of life here and everybody supports everybody, and that's how it's always been," she added.

"I'm pretty sure that is how it's always going to be in Jaywick."