The seaside resorts of Tendring, which include Clacton-on-Sea and Jaywick, have long come in for a pummelling.

In a survey of 4,000 people by Which?,Clacton was named the third worst seaside town in the country, narrowly being beaten to the bottom spot by Bangor in second and Bognor Regis in first.

Jaywick, which is a village of around 5,000 people roughly two miles down the coast from Clacton, attracted the attention of the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, back in 2018. He identified the area as a stark example of poverty in the UK. His report highlighted the area's severe deprivation, including inadequate infrastructure, high unemployment, and poor housing, while residents expressed a profound sense of abandonment.

Despite sitting just 60 miles from London - one of the richest cities in Europe - Clacton and Jaywick suffer from low wages and poor public perception, with dark tourists and American influencers venturing there to report on their struggles.

The need for investment has been clear for some time.

A local resident, who only wanted to be referred to by his first name, Mark, told the BBC back in 2023: "It needs dragging into the 21st century - big time. It has so much potential. It has one of the best beaches in Essex." John, who also lives in Jaywick, also told the broadcaster: "It is in desperate need of redevelopment. It's been lacking for years and it got to the point where people wouldn't come down here because it was rough."

Happily, there is a lot of hope on the horizon for Tendring. The District Council (TDC) is working on a raft of regeneration projects across Clacton, Jaywick Sands and Dovercourt after successfully applying for millions of pounds in Government funding.

The Council entered into a Community Regeneration Partnership (formerly the Levelling Up Partnership) in late 2024 and was awarded £20million in funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to regenerate Clacton and Jaywick Sands.

In Clacton, these include proposals to repurpose the 200-year-old Martello Tower on Clacton seafront and bring it into regular use, in a project TDC says will convert "a disused public convenience close to Clacton Pier into a vibrant cultural venue and providing a free-to-use BMX pump track, learn-to-cycle and climbing facility at Clacton Leisure Centre."

In Jaywick Sands, projects include improvements to open spaces, and a new walking and cycling route.

A further £20million was also secured from the Local Regeneration Fund (formerly Levelling Up Fund) for Clacton Town Centre which was granted to create the new 'Clacton Civic Quarter'.

Clacton Library is also being redeveloped into a new multi-storey building that will be built on the current library site, to include a centre for Adult Community Learning and local registration services.

TDC also bagged £6.66million for improvements to Dovercourt Town Centre as part of the Local Regeneration Fund. The cash will be splashed on a new car park to replace the derelict one in the town centre car park, new social homes and a refurbishment to the library.

The first phase of the High Street Accelerator Scheme has funded shopfront improvements for Dovercourt town centre businesses, and the second phase will focus on improving green spaces in the town centre.

The Government has also unveiled a scheme that will see a number of towns across the country, including Clacton, benefit from a multi-million-pound investment as part of the Pride in Place programme. Clacton will receive £20 million in endowment-style funding over 10 years to invest in local priorities. An independently chaired Town Board has been set up to develop a ten-year vision, which has now been submitted, along with a shorter-term investment plan.

According to the council, the total investment in Tendring from all these projects at the moment is £69.7million - the vast majority secured by Government funding.