The government has unveiled a number of towns across the country, including Clacton, that will benefit from a multi-billion pound investment, as part of a Plan for Neighbourhoods that provide long-term investment in towns that have been overlooked and taken for granted.
Clacton will be given £20 million endowment-style funds each over 10 years to invest in local people’s priorities.
An independently chaired Town Board has been set up to develop a ten-year vision, and a shorter-term investment plan.
Government notified the Council in January 2023 that it had been successful in its funding bid for:
Clacton Hub: creation of a brand new skills and learning hub, bringing together the Adult Community Learning centre and the Library, with proposals for the University of Essex’s new Centre for Coastal Communities to join the building. This has now been granted planning permission by Essex County Council.
Carnarvon Terrace: delivery of 28 much-needed well-designed new homes, improvements to the existing Car Park, and creation of new ‘maker space units’ for retail entrepreneurs. This has planning permission from Tendring District Council.
The funding has conditions on it detailing themes and areas for which it must be spent; for example, the Brownfield Land Release Fund which paid for demolition of Carnarvon House, must be used to support at least some housing delivery.
Government notified the Council in January 2023 that its Dovercourt Town Centre Improvement Corridor bid was unsuccessful for LUF, but on 15 March 2023 Government announced the bid was successful in a sister fund, ‘Capital Regeneration Projects’ (CRP). The funding from Government comprises:
Dovercourt Public Realm Scheme: A major investment into the appearance of Dovercourt Town Centre to improve the visitor experience and support local businesses which will deliver a series of streetscape improvements along the Kingsway corridor help revitalise the town centre. Essex County Council are leading on this project and you can find more information about the proposals here.
Learning and Library Project: The Adult Community Learning skills centre will return to Dovercourt town within a refurbished library, increasing the opportunities for residents to benefit from courses locally. The new library is due to open in Autumn 2025.
New Modern Car Park: The out-of-date multi-storey car park at Milton Road will be replaced with a new, modern alternative. Demolition work began in September 2025.
New Social Homes: Two derelict sites in Victoria Steet are set to be replaced with new social housing.
The funding, which was first announced in the spring budget, will see tailored regeneration plans rolled out across 20 of England’s areas most in need of levelling up.
The department secretary at the time Michael Gove said: "Levelling up partnerships are about delivering long term solutions for local areas, working closely with communities on tailored interventions to overcome their unique challenges and seize new opportunities."
Please note: This initiative has now been renamed as Community Regeneration Partnership.
Initial consultations were held for each scheme in July, and further events are planned in September and October - for more details and information please check back for updates.
Tendring welcomes this significant financial investment in our towns, which will help the district make the most of opportunities from wider development, such as Freeport East, the Tendring Colchester Border Garden Community and more.
Clacton will see £29.3million invested to create a new gateway into the town, providing new community facilities – including a library, learning centre, business units, homes and improved public space – all part of unlocking the wider long-term potential of Clacton and Tendring.
Our £9million Dovercourt Capital Regeneration Project will deliver several aspects of the Dovercourt Revisited masterplan, bringing skills provision to the heart of the town in a re-vamped library, new housing to replace two derelict sites in Victoria Street, and a welcoming street-scape from the station to Marine Parade and around Kingsway; developing further potential brought by Freeport East for the area.
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