TEN new “starter homes” are to be built in Jaywick thanks to a £200,000 Government grant.

Tendring Council housing boss Paul Honeywood announced the windfall at Friday’s cabinet meeting.

The homes will be the first to be built in Jaywick as part of the council’s regeneration plans for the Brooklands area.

The Homes and Communities Agency cash will pay towards the cost of building flood-resistant homes.

A location has not yet been decided, but Mr Honeywood wants to see the homes built on the former tyre depot site off Lotus Way, which is now council-owned.

“These high quality flood-resilient homes will mark the first of what I hope will be many new, safe and affordable homes which we are able to build in Jaywick signalling the end to the negative media attention which it quite unjustly currently gets,” he said.

“This investment demonstrates the commitment this council has in transforming the future of Jaywick for the benefit of its residents and the residents of Tendring as a whole.

“This would not have been possible without the investment this council made in purchasing land in Jaywick over the last 18 months and the cross-party support that we have had to make a difference in Jaywick.”

It is understood the homes will be sold at 80 per cent of their market value to people trying to get onto the housing ladder.

Mr Honeywood hopes the homes will only be available to local people, but that terms will have to be agreed with the Homes and Communities Agency.

The council could put £100,000 of its own money into the scheme.

Jaywick councillor Roy Raby welcomed the move.

“This is great news,” he said. “The people down there in Jaywick desperately need regeneration.”