Jaywick is named England's most deprived neighbourhood for a third time - ITV News
Tendring District Council say the town is on the up - and that the depravation label isn't wholly a bad thing, as it unlocks extra funding and investment opportunities.
Cllr Paul Honeywood, Cabinet Member with special responsibility for Jaywick Sands, said:
"While not ideal, the deprivation label opens up funding and investment opportunities and a focus from other agencies that otherwise would be tougher to get, so it is not all bad.
"We are in this for the long-term, and appreciate there may be some who question why this part of Jaywick Sands has been there for the last three indices. However, the issues in Jaywick Sands are complex and if they were easy to fix they would have been solved years ago.
"Tendring District Council, along with the residents, will be here long after the media interest dies away working to help the area reach its full potential, and positive change is already happening.
"We, working with our partners and the community, are doing a lot of work to address issues of deprivation, with initiatives across the short, medium and long-term. The Jaywick Sands Coastal Community Team brings together ourselves, Essex County Council, Government, community representatives and key organisations such as the Environment Agency and Homes England.
"Short-term initiatives include action days tackling things such as fly-tipping and rogue waste carriers, and supporting the ongoing work of Dig4Jaywick and other community projects.
"Medium-term we are currently building ten new homes in the area, along with an electricity sub-station to support future growth, and have bought and demolished derelict eyesore sites to promote positive development.
"Long-term we are working with the Environment Agency to assess what flood resilience measures would be needed in the future and examining masterplan options for the area. We are also working with Government and the Housing and Finance Institute to look at what tweaks could be made to the housing market to support more speedy renewal of poor quality homes – this would allow us to do so much more.
"It is worth making clear that the Multiple Indices of Deprivation not only examine a whole range of issues – many outside of our direct control – such as health, car ownership and the like, but also refer to 'super output areas'; in this case, a very small part of Jaywick Sands, and not the whole area."
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