Dovercourt has suffered from the generic
decline in the popularity of English seaside towns and as a
consequence of this and other local factors (such as the
transformation of working practices at Harwich International Port),
the town’s economy has contracted. The condition of the built
environment and the quality of the public realm has seen a
commensurate decline. Dovercourt High Street has lost its pre-war
(WW2) vitality and this is demonstrated by the number of derelict
residential and commercial premises that are located in close
proximity to the town centre. In 2011 the Council commissioned
consultants to prepare a comprehensive Masterplan for Dovercourt
Town Centre. The Masterplan sought to rediscover Dovercourt as a
thriving seaside town with a vibrant and successful town centre.
The proposals sought to create a distinctive place based on
heritage, and a shared belief in the future of the town. Whilst
there remains broad support for the aims and objectives of
Dovercourt Rediscovered, it is evident that market conditions in
the town are such that there has been very limited change on the
ground in the six years since the Plan was completed. Most of the
derelict sites identified in 2011, are in the same poor condition
(or worse), and this is thought to be having a detrimental impact
on the town. In view of this and in an effort to kick-start the
regeneration of Dovercourt, Urban Initiatives Studio Ltd have been
appointed (via a competitive process in line with the Council's
procurement protocols)to look again at Dovercourt Rediscovered and
specifically to reconsider and to reimagine the development
opportunities afforded by the Starlings Block and Milton Road Car
Park. The focus of the Council’s brief is therefore to test
and to reaffirm the design principles, public realm improvements
and development objectives set out in Dovercourt Rediscovered, and
specifically to identify a productive and symbiotic use for the
Starlings Block and Milton Road Car Park.