£1m windfall a 'real opportunity' for Jaywick (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

£1m windfall a 'real opportunity' for Jaywick

9:00am Saturday 13th October 2012 in News

A £1MILLION fund for Jaywick will be a kick-start to improving housing in Jaywick - but it must be spent wisely, it has been warned.

Earlier this year, Tendring Council was awarded a £1.3million grant by the Government to help tackle the blight of empty homes.

It claims empty homes attract antisocial behaviour, vandalism and fly-tipping.

It is thought the scheme will see money spent on bringing homes up to standard and back into use.

Council housing boss Paul Honeywood wants to use the cash to tackle problems in Jaywick.

“This money gives us a real opportunity to develop in Jaywick and improve Jaywick,” he said.

“We do need to move quickly and as a matter of urgency to meet deadlines.

“But we have spoken before about local homes for local people and we need to look at how we can progress that idea.

“One of the ideas I would like to explore is giving people in employment a bit of a hand up too.”

Mr Honeywood said people wanted to live in Jaywick and first-time buyers could be interested in self-build schemes to get on the property ladder.

Council leader Neil Stock said in the past residents in Jaywick had been let down over unfulfilled promises of help and he did not want it to happen again.

Discussions will be held with local councillors Dan Casey and Nick Brown over the future recommendations.