Decision details

Decision Maker: Leader of the Council and Corporate Finance & Governance Portfolio Holder

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Decision:

To endorse the principle of submitting two Tendring District Council led town centre bids;

To approve allocating the entirety of the funding set aside by the Council for Town Centre Levelling Up (£2.295m) to support the bids, should it be needed once the financial cases are complete;

Following consultation with the Section 151 Officer, to approve and authorise the submission of both Tendring District Council led Levelling Up Fund final bids to the Government by its deadline of 6 July 2022; and

To support the submission of the Essex County Council led transport bid.


Reasons for the decision:

Both bids, if successful, will allow TDC to implement improvements to support Town Centre economies in the district.
The projects proposed in the Clacton bid allow for joined up provision of public services in a convenient town centre location for residents, whilst also being easily accessible from Clacton station. There will also be an offer of housing, and start-up business units with flexible use.
The projects proposed in the Harwich and Dovercourt bid would revitalise the area around the station and create a new public space to create a better gateway to the town and seafront, with an improved transport interchange. The proposals for the High Street and Kingsway will encourage footfall and dwell time, with the amendments to the library allowing Adult Community Learning to establish a presence in the area.
Email has also been received from the Section 151 officer in support of the bids.

Alternative options considered:

Do nothing: Tendring District Council would not submit any bids to the Levelling Up Fund
Submit one bid only: just the Clacton bid, or the Harwich and Dovercourt bid.
It would be possible to focus on one bid to seek to ensure that it could be of the highest quality. However, we have the opportunity to submit a bid for both areas and the support of additional resource from Essex County Council and from external consultants has facilitated this work. As a result we have put in bids for both areas.

Publication date: 28/06/2022

Date of decision: 28/06/2022

Effective from: 06/07/2022

Accompanying Documents: