Community consultation has opened today on the draft Jaywick Sands Place Plan. This is a major piece of work looking at the long-term future of this extraordinary community and its challenges.

We have spent a lot of time talking to people who live in Jaywick Sands, both informally and in a big consultation last year; on research; in dialogue with the Environment Agency over the critical issue of flood defences, and doing tough systems thinking around tackling the blight caused by dereliction and rogue landlords. The plan we have developed for Tendring District Council includes:

• New flood defences integrated with a major seafront public realm strategy, that will protect Jaywick Sands for the next 100 years and help grow the visitor economy drawn by the amazing sandy beach
• A strategy for addressing the dereliction and blight caused by abandoned and vacant plots
• Public realm and accessibility/connectivity improvements
• A land use framework for the community as a whole, setting out where additional business space, community services and homes should be located.

This is a fascinating project which deals with the very critical issues of coastal adaptation, tidal flood risk, climate and the intersection with poverty. If the response is positive and this goes forward to adoption, it is just the start of the work needed to attract funding and deliver.

Have a look at the public-facing survey to find out more, or visit Tendring District Council's dedicated webpage to download the whole plan. And we will have a number of consultation events over the next few weeks, so if you want to chat, pop down.