A cash windfall of more than £3.5 million could be heading for Jaywick - if a bid for Government funding is successful.

Tendring Council has selected the resort for new neighbourhood management and regeneration projects.

And if it is chosen as one of 15 areas to get financial support, it stands to pick up about £600,000 for each of the next six years.

The council had to submit its bid by today (Friday) and it is hopeful it will get through the first round and pick up the cash.

The bid comes hot on the heels of the end of the Rural Challenge programme, which started in 1996.

Under that scheme, the council and its partners successfully secured £1 million in the first instance for the resort. In the final report, it showed that an additional £2.03 million was provided by partners - including £1.09 million from Tendring Council.

That money was used on 13 projects which included a new spine road to Brooklands and Grasslands, a community resource centre, eight industrial starter units, additional street lighting, a community bus, three play areas and closed-circuit television cameras.

By Nigel Brown

Reporter's e-mail: nigel_brown@thisisessex.co.uk

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