This meeting of the Tendring Council Cabinet includes a range of topics covering finance, artificial intelligence, community safety, and the approval of funding to deliver a programme of regeneration projects across Clacton and Jaywick.

Regeneration in Clacton-on-Sea and Jaywick Sands

A report on the Community Regeneration Partnership (formerly the Levelling Up Partnership) programme¹ details how the Council plans to spend the £19.79m of capital funding² it has been allocated by Government. The aim of the programme is to deliver a range of regeneration schemes across Clacton-on-Sea and Jaywick Sands, with particular projects including:

The report requests approval for these four projects to proceed to the next stages of development.

The report also details how the rest of the programme is scheduled to be delivered, which includes funding for:

• Acquiring and repurposing a disused town centre building for cultural usage, which will be located at the former Savoy Theatre
• Repurposing Martello Tower E as a cultural venue
• Enhancing public open spaces in Jaywick Sands
• Providing equipment for a skills hub at the new Clacton Hub
• Funding for a new Urgent Treatment Centre and Primary Care Facility at Clacton Hospital
• A walking and cycling route across Tudor Fields in Jaywick Sands
• Improvements to bus infrastructure in Clacton and Jaywick Sands
• Fitting solar panels to the Sunspot Centre in Jaywick Sands

A separate report seeks approval to progress the Carnarvon Terrace Levelling Up Fund project and the Homes for Dovercourt Capital Regeneration Project to the next stage of development, which includes the production of tender information to go out to the market to procure main build contracts. If approved, this work will use the remaining £2,148,421 budget allocated by Cabinet for these schemes, which has already funded the development of designs for planning.

Council Finances

The Corporate Finance and Governance Portfolio Holder's report seeks to provide an update on the Council’s financial forecast for the General Fund³, along with the proposed budget position for 2025/26. The report highlights that there remains a forecasted annual deficit of £1.508m for 2025/26, which is proposed to be met from the Forecast Risk Fund. However, the report acknowledges that this is not a sustainable long-term solution and further work will need to be undertaken to address the underlying structural budget deficit.

A separate report seeks approval for a revised Housing Revenue Account⁴ (HRA) Business Plan. As part of that report, a proposed 2.7% rent increase for 2025/26 is set out, based on the Government’s recent policy statement on rents.

Artificial Intelligence

A further report sets out an Artificial Intelligence Best Practice Approach for the Council to adopt. This report outlines the opportunities artificial intelligence (AI) offers, alongside the ethical considerations for its use.

Other Business

Further reports consider:

• Adopting a new Sport and Activity Strategy, following its scrutiny by the Community Leadership Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
• A proposed amendment to the Council’s constitution that would require the three parish council representatives to the Town & Parish Councils’ Standards Sub-Committee to represent different parish councils. This follows an instance where two of the three representatives are from the same Parish Council.
• A number of policies, including:
  • The Housing Allocations Policy. The proposed changes include making it easier for those experiencing domestic abuse to join the housing register.
  • The Gas Safety Policy. This sets out how the council will manage its legal responsibilities to ensure gas safety in its housing stock.
  • The Electrical Safety Policy. This sets out how the council will manage its legal responsibilities to ensure electrical safety in its housing stock.
  • The Fencing and Paving Policy. This clarifies what type of fencing and paving the council provides to its tenants.
  • The Empty Council Homes Management Policy. This aims to ensure that empty homes are quickly returned to use.
• An update on a range of community projects across the District.
  • This report highlights successful joint working between the Council and partners on projects including the Essex Pedal Power scheme and the rollout of the Wellbeing Hubs in primary schools. The report also highlights ongoing projects such as the Community Safety Hub.
  • Future aspirations outlined within the report include a proposal to roll out the Wellbeing Hubs model across more schools in North East Essex, and to continue the work of the Tendring Skills Partnership.
  • The report also seeks to gain Cabinet endorsement for these future aspirations, noting that any financial commitment to progress them will be subject to future decisions.

The meeting also includes a statement from the Leader of the Council that relates to the termination of the ‘YourStride’ Careline Contract.