An investment of more than £525,000 is being made by Tendring District Council (TDC) into two of its priority projects.
Cabinet agreed on Friday, 28 January to increase the funding it is putting in to the Jaywick Sands Covered Market and Workspace, and the Starlings project in Dovercourt.
Reports considered by Cabinet outlined how a rise in construction costs outside of the council’s control – driven by factors including increased gas prices and material costs – meant that additional money is needed for the schemes to continue as proposed.
Cabinet authorised an additional £254,465 funding for the covered market scheme from the New Homes Bonus and £272,383 from the Business Investment Fund for the Starlings project, as well as making some changes to the latter initiative to delay a second phase of works.
Neil Stock OBE, TDC Leader, said the move signalled the authority’s commitment to the priority projects, and to the Dovercourt and Jaywick Sands communities.
“Tendring has long had a reputation for being a can-do council, and we are prepared to invest in schemes which deliver benefits for our residents and businesses,” Cllr Stock said.
“Project costs have risen due to circumstances we cannot control, but rather than shying away and leaving our communities with unfinished projects and cleared land, we are choosing to positively invest in delivery – hence why we are working hard to put the required funding in place.
“This is only possible thanks to the long-term prudent financial work we have undertaken, which has put us on a firm footing to weather out issues such as these.”
Cllr Stock emphasised that these new funding decisions will be subject to the agreement of next year’s budget, which will need to be approved by full council next month.
The Jaywick Sands project plans to create a covered market, 25 affordable business units, training room, café, public toilets and community garden on the seafront, as well as new pavements and lighting, on the former Sunspot site and surrounding land. Planning permission was awarded in July 2021, with the project directly supporting around 40 full-time equivalent jobs and 16 indirectly.
Main funding for the scheme comes from the Getting Building Fund, administered by the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP), with £1.972m, while Essex County Council (ECC) has contributed £325k and TDC £175k to date.
The project’s other partners, ECC and SELEP, are also being approached for additional funding totalling £1.6million to make up the shortfall; continuing with the project is dependent on this being secured.
Meanwhile in Dovercourt TDC is looking to turn the site of the former Starlings garage and Queens Head Hotel, which burnt down a number of years ago, to create a new car park, public toilets and events space. The site has already been bought, cleared, and planning permission secured, with £670,000 invested in the project to date.
The site’s importance is recognised in TDC’s Dovercourt Masterplan Revisited, with redevelopment of the space being one of the ‘Dovercourt Twenty’ projects contained within it.
Due to the additional construction costs the work is projected to cost £376,000 over the original budget – though this does also include a £208,000 contingency.
As well as the additional investment, work on a second phase – to demolish and re-develop the Milton Road car park – will be put on hold, allowing some of the funding to be re-assigned to the Starlings work. A fresh survey carried out on Milton Road car park, while a planned bid to the Levelling Up Fund for Dovercourt and Harwich could include this phase of work within it.
A separate bid has also been made for government funding towards the electric vehicle charging points aspect of the Starlings project, while a left-turn option will also be removed from the scheme to save £30,000. Continuation of this project is dependent upon the savings being delivered.
Cllr Stock added: “We understand just how important these schemes are to the local areas, both helping to provide welcoming spaces in landmark positions in the community and future opportunities for work and events, which is why we are pulling out all the stops to make them happen.”
