PLANS have been submitted for a new £2 million project designed to improve a coastal community following a consultation with residents.

In November last year Jaywick Sands received £1.97million from the Government’s Getting Building Fund to create a commercial facility and covered market.

The Tendring Council-owned site, located at the gateway to Brooklands, will also become home to 25 affordable business units and a community garden.

The 9,500sq ft market, formerly home to the Sunspot arcade, will include a hard landscaped area, which will also accommodate an outdoor market.

The initiative, led by Tendring District Council, will be topped up by £105k from the authority and £50k from Essex County Council.

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Proposals for project, which will also a café, public toilets, and public realm, were recently shared with residents by architects HAT Projects.

Results from the consultation have since been used to inform the final design proposals for the project, which have now been submitted as a planning application.

Paul Honeywood, Tendring councillor responsible for Jaywick Sands, thanked people for sharing their views.

“We have had some really interesting and useful feedback, and we were delighted to see how much enthusiasm there is for the project,” he said.

“The funding for this project is specifically for workspace, market and public realm uses, and forms part of our ambitions for helping Jaywick Sands prosper and thrive.”

According to Tendring Council majority of the feedback was positive, with people welcoming the scheme as a way of bringing the Jaywick community closer together.

Some who took part in the survey, however, raised concerns about upkeep and security and about making sure the facility worked for local people.

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Tendring councillor Mary Newton, responsible for business and economic growth, believes the scheme will only be a positive for the area.

She added: “This project will support the local economy, grow local entrepreneurship, and grow and retain economic activity and job creation in the local area, all helping our district to get back to business after the pandemic.”

If the application is approved by Tendring Council’s planning committee, building work is due to start later this year ready for completion in 2022.

People can comment on the application by visiting idox.tendringdc.gov.uk/online-applications/ and searching for reference 21/00871/FUL.