A DISUSED town centre building is to be demolished and given a new lease of life as a community space and housing.
Tendring Council has received a £420,000 grant to allow for the demolition of Carnarvon House, in Clacton, and prepare the site for future redevelopment.
The office building in Carnarvon Road is owned by the council and in recent years was leased to the NHS as office space until it was no longer needed.
It has remained empty since the NHS vacated it, with some temporary use as a location base and for filming for the movie Morris Men, shot in and around Tendring.
In May 2021, council leaders agreed to the site’s demolition.
The authority’s deputy leader Carlo Guglielmi said there is now an opportunity to transform Carnarvon Road into a picturesque route to the seafront.
“Carnarvon House has served the public well for a number of decades but the building is of its time and I don’t think many people will be sad to see it go,” said Mr Guglielmi.
“Sadly it is not a structure that can be made energy efficient nor can be adapted to any sustainable use.
“Combined with the demolition of nearby Westleigh House and the exciting future vision for the area, we are on the cusp of an opportunity to really transform Carnarvon Road into a beautiful avenue leading to the sea.
“Being able to pay for this work from Government funding, and not local tax payer contributions, is a huge help to the council, while demolition also removes ongoing costs we face with owning an empty building.”
The short-term plan is for the premises to be demolished in the new year, with a series of internal works due to be started by contractors before Christmas.
Longer-term, the site is proposed for housing development and a flexible use community space in the council’s bid to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.
The project has been developed with support from the Brownfield Land Release Fund.
The scheme supports regeneration projects turning derelict or underused council land into space for new homes.
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