Clacton, Jaywick: Spending gap in neighbourhood project (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

Clacton, Jaywick: Spending gap in neighbourhood project

4:07pm Friday 6th June 2008

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CLACTON has scooped a bigger share of a £3 million cashpot than neighbouring Jaywick by almost £500,000.

The Interaction Partnership Board was set up to improve life for residents in Tendring's most deprived two wards.

It was given £3.8 million of Government cash to dish out between 2006 and 2010.

So far it has spent just over £3 million.

A total of £1,482,080 has been spent in the Pier ward, which includes Clacton town centre, while £1,003,183 has been dished out in the Golf Green ward, which covers Jaywick.

The remaining £577,301 covers projects that benefit both wards.

Spending so far has included more than £800,000 on the Clacton town centre revamp, £280,000 on upgrading Brooklands Resource Centre in Jaywick and £440,000 on staff costs - including a neighbourhood manager and a team of wardens.

The board makes spending decisions through its 18 members which include residents, councillors and representatives from other community groups such as the police, primary care trust and Colchester Institute.

Residents representative Ted Bullock, who lives in Crossways, Jaywick, said he has received no complaints about how the cash has been spent.

"It is going quite well," he said.

"The resource centre has been upgraded, the all-weather pitch is underway and there are a few more things in the pipeline.

"The town centre is not everyone's cup of tea but you will never please everyone."

The board explained where the money gets spent depends on having viable proposals at the ready.

It is understood members found it difficult to find projects in Jaywick in the first year of spending because of the lack of infrastructure in the resort.

In addition schemes sometimes come in under budget, such as the resource centre in Golf Green ward by £30,000 which was spent in Pier ward because a scheme for a new lift was ready at Imperial House.

Clacton's Pier ward and Jaywick's Golf Green ward were among the three per cent most deprived in the country according to a national survey in 2004.

The board's objective is to improve quality of life for residents.

A satisfaction survey carried out this year shows an 18 per cent hike in the number of people who say their quality of life is fairly good or good compared to last year.

The number of respondents who are satisfied with their neighbourhood is up 25 per cent.

There was only a 2.5 per cent increase in the proportion of people who think they can influence decisions.

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