The Cabinet is asked to note any announcements made by Members of the Cabinet.
Minutes:
The Portfolio Holder for Housing (Councillor Honeywood) made the following announcement:
“Earlier this year Neil [Stock, Leader of the Council] decided that Jaywick Sands should have its own Cabinet Member, a decision that shows this Cabinet’s commitment to deliver real improvements for the area, working in tandem with other partners to create a team to champion Jaywick Sands.
I was pleased to be offered that position and grateful for the opportunity to be able to take a leading role in bringing forward change.
Today, I would like to update Cabinet on the progress we have made.
As I’m sure you are aware, Tendring Council has purchased over 28 hectares of land in Jaywick Sands. We have now made an offer to purchase land north of Lotus Way. This will provide alternative access into the former Homes and Communities Agency land. The offer has been accepted and we are now awaiting confirmation from the landowner’s solicitors.
As you know, we were awarded a £200,000 grant by the Homes and Communities Agency towards the cost of building 10 brand new high quality flood resilient starter homes. I am pleased to report that the land set aside for this has now been fenced off and an environmental survey undertaken. We now looking at the additional funding needed to complete the project.
We have said from the outset that real change cannot be delivered by local or national government as the money is simply not available in these times of austerity. That’s why we need private investors and developers to get involved.
Working with the Coastal Communities Team and in particular the Housing Finance Institute discussions have been ongoing with Cheyne Capitol and Legal and General, potential investors who’s Heads of investment have now visited Jaywick Sands and are very positive about investing in the area.
I am pleased to report that the first private sector developer has submitted planning applications for two blocks of flats on the front in Brooklands. They are not currently compliant with the planning rules but our planners are working with the applicant’s architects to make them compliant. The developer has confirmed that they are looking to submit a third application.
We have always said that Tendring Council would be the catalyst for change and I believe that is proving to be the case.
But working with the local community and listening to their views is important. That’s why we don’t have a master plan. It’s what local people want that matters. Further funding has been agreed with the National Lottery to continue engagement work with the local community and one of the potential investors is also keen to involve the Princes Trust, part of which specialise in such work – they have also visited Jaywick and undertaken a huge amount of background research. The start date and scope will be agreed with the Jaywick & Tudor Residents Forum.
The Happy Club have a voice too. I’m a regular attendee at their meetings along with Tendring Council’s Communications Manager.
We have made a promise of “Local Homes for Local People” and that’s a priority for me. We a looking to build Council homes in Jaywick Sands and the introduction of a Local Lettings Policy will help to ensure that local people will have an opportunity to gain access to those homes.
At the beginning of my report I said we, that’s because this is truly a team effort. We are working with Essex County Council, The Environment Agency, Homes and Communities Agency, Housing Finance Institute, Department for Communities & Local Government,Jaywick & Tudor Residents Forum and the Jaywick Sands Happy Club.
I believe that by everyone working together Jaywick Sands will see one of the most important initiatives to be delivered in the whole of Essex for many years.”
The Leader of the Council (Councillor Stock) informed Cabinet that he would be writing to the new Prime Minister (The Rt. Hon. Theresa May MP) to request her to involve herself in Jaywick as much as her predecessor in office, The Rt. Hon. David Cameron MP, had done.
The Portfolio Holder for Enforcement and Community Safety (Councillor G V Guglielmi) informed the Cabinet that the Tendring Locality Board had met, the previous evening, at the Jaywick Resource Centre. Those attending had gone on a walkabout of Jaywick in order to see the changes that had already taken place. He stated that it was a great example of partnership working with Essex County Council and he paid tribute to Paul Price, Corporate Director for Operational Services, for the work that he had put into the Jaywick projects.