A DERELICT former cafe and an eyesore home are set to be torn down as part of efforts to regenerate the UK’s most deprived neighbourhood.

Tendring Council bought the former Low Tide Café in Jaywick’s Tamarisk Way – and a chalet in Sea Way – earlier this year.

They are next door to ten new homes built as part of the council's regeneration programme for the village’s Brooklands area, which is officially the most deprived neighbourhood in England.

Contractor Clarke Demolition has now been appointed to demolish two derelict properties.

The council acquired the sites in January this year with plans to demolish them as part of the authority’s ongoing strategy to rejuvenate the area.

The contractors were appointed following a tender exercise and the works will cost around £23,000.

Demolition will begin as soon as service disconnections can be completed and is expected to take about a week.

Paul Honeywood, the council’s cabinet member with special responsibility for Jaywick, said the work would improve the area.

“These properties have been empty for some time now, and rather than let them become eyesores we are taking positive action to clear them,” he said.

“Not only do these neighbour new homes built by us, but the cleared plots will then be available for future regenerative work.”

Tendring Council has built ten new homes next to the site and work is also underway nearby on new business units and covered market.

Gazette:

New homes - Tendring Council's cabinet member for housing Paul Honeywood

The authority said it is a “key location” marking the transition between Jaywick village and the Brooklands estate and the first thing people see when entering the area earmarked for regeneration.

A report said the cafe building has been vacant and derelict for some time.

It added: “An opportunity exists to further commit to the regeneration of Jaywick, improve the environment around the new homes and potentially provide for some further development in the future.

“The council has recognised that due to the difficult market conditions in the Jaywick area, high quality private sector housing development is potentially not viable and therefore unlikely to take place.

“The council, in its community leadership and housing provider roles, is seeking to kick-start regeneration of the area.”