Local Plan - Preferred Options Consultation Document (Reg18)

6 Prosperous Places

6.4The Local Plan’s strategic objective for Employment/Commercial is “To provide for the development of employment land on a variety of sites to support a diversity of employment opportunities and to achieve a better balance between the location of jobs and housing, which will reduce the need to travel and promote sustainable growth up to the period of 2042.”

6.5Promoting balanced economic growth is one of the key elements of delivering sustainable development. This Local Plan aims to make Tendring District more self-reliant by achieving a sustainable balance between jobs, retail development, tourism, leisure, hotel and guesthouse development and associated facilities and to improve education and skills for our District’s residents. Balancing growth will ensure that our natural and built environment, especially our countryside, are preserved and protected against unsustainable growth.

6.6The National Planning Policy Framework requires local planning authorities to adopt a positive approach towards development proposals that will contribute towards building a strong, responsive and competitive economy in their area and to ensure that sufficient land of the right type is available in the right places and at the right time to support growth and innovation. From undertaking extensive consultation with residents and businesses within the Tendring District, it is clear that delivering a strong economy that provides more jobs for local people is a high priority in our area, but that the pursuit of economic growth must also sit comfortably alongside other objectives, such as protecting and enhancing the environment and planning positively to meet the social needs of our local communities.

6.7The Economic Development Strategy was refreshed in 2019 to reflect updated baseline evidence and evolving strategic priorities. While the established principles and ambitions remain consistent with the 2013 version, the 2019 strategy adopts a refined structure and approach to better align with current challenges and opportunities. The refreshed strategy is structured around five key objectives:

Objective 1: Supporting Tendring’s Growth Locations
This objective outlines the vision for targeted investment and development in key areas identified for growth. Based on evidence and stakeholder consultation, the initial target locations are Clacton & Jaywick Sands, Harwich & Dovercourt, and the Tendring/Colchester border.

Objective 2: Targeting Growth Sectors
The strategy prioritises support for two key growth sectors—Clean Energy and Care & Assisted Living—while also recognising wider sector opportunities across the District.

Objective 3: Ensuring Residents Have the Skills and Information to Participate
This objective emphasises the importance of equipping residents with the skills and aspirations needed to engage with emerging opportunities. It includes recommendations on education, skills provision, and employment support.

Objective 4: Supporting Growth & Innovation in Tendring’s Businesses
The strategy aims to foster a more dynamic, diverse, and future-facing business base through improved business engagement, innovation, and inward investment.

Objective 5: Delivering Housing to Support Economic Objectives
Recognising the interdependence between population growth and economic development, this objective outlines how housing delivery can stimulate future economic growth.

6.5This updated strategy continues to inform the Local Plan’s policies and proposals for employment, housing, infrastructure, and regeneration, ensuring that Tendring District remains resilient, competitive, and inclusive in its economic development.

Delivering Retail

6.6The Local Plan’s strategic objective for Retail Development is “To promote the vitality and viability of the town centres through the promotion of retail and other appropriate and adaptable uses, exploiting the benefit of enhanced growth of the towns whilst retaining the best and valued aspects of their existing character, as well as responding appropriately to changes in the way people enjoy shopping and other leisure activities, and competition for trade arising from other centres, both within and outside of the District.”

6.7The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) promotes planning policies that help create the conditions in which businesses can invest, expand and indicates that significant weight should be placed on the need to support economic growth through the planning system.

6.8The NPPF requires local planning authorities to support the role that town centres play at the heart of their communities and pursue policies to promote their viability and vitality. In addition, local planning authorities are expected to allocate a range of suitable sites in town centres to meet the scale and type of anticipated needs for retail uses. Ensuring town centres are recognised and protected and sufficient land can be brought forward to meet the retail needs of the District is a crucial element of this Local Plan.

6.9References in the Local Plan to “town centres” or “centres” apply to town centres, District centres and local centres but exclude small parades of shops of purely neighbourhood significance.

6.10Town centres act as key locations for a diverse range of uses such as retail, leisure, commercial, office, tourism, cultural activities, community facilities and also provide an important, sustainable location for housing.

6.11Retail is split into comparison and convenience shopping. Convenience shops provide for the everyday essential items including milk and newspapers, food and drinks and confectionery. These shops are usually close to people’s homes so people can make many visits during the week. Comparison shops provide items not purchased on a frequent basis such as clothing, footwear or household items. Comparison shops provide items not purchased on a frequent basis such as clothing, footwear or household items.

6.12The Town Centre First principle requires applications for main town centre uses to be located in town centres, then in edge of centre locations and only if suitable sites are not available (or expected to become available within a reasonable period) should out of centre sites be considered.

6.13The NPPF sets out that when assessing large applications for retail, leisure and office development outside of town centres, which are not in accordance with an up-to-date Local Plan, local authorities should require an impact assessment if the development is over a proportionate, locally set floorspace threshold.

6.14Where an application fails to satisfy the sequential test or is likely to have significant adverse impact on the town centre, it should be refused. Local planning authorities are required to ensure that sequential test and impact test have been properly applied, and that the "town centre first" approach has been followed. This does not mean that out-of-centre development is necessarily inappropriate.

6.15The Town Centre First principle requires applications for main town centre uses to be located in town centres, then in edge of centre locations and only if suitable sites are not available (or expected to become available within a reasonable period) should out of centre sites be considered. The NPPF sets out that when assessing large applications for retail, leisure and office development outside of town centres, which are not in accordance with an up-to-date Local Plan, local authorities should require an impact assessment if the development is over a proportionate, locally set floorspace threshold.

6.16Tendring District Council commissioned WYG Planning and Environment (WYG) to undertake a Retail Study in 2016, to serve as local evidence to support the Local Plan Policies. An updated Retail and Town Centre Uses Study was undertaken in 2020 by Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH).

Additional Retail Floorspace Provision

6.17The NPPF requires that LPA’s should allocate a range of suitable sites to meet the scale and type of town centre uses needed in town centres and that it is important that the need for retail, leisure, office and other main town centre uses are met in full and are not compromised by limited site availability. Town centre boundaries should be kept under review where necessary.

Convenience Shopping

6.18The quantitative assessment in LSH Retail and Town Centre Uses Study (2020) estimates that turnover for convenience goods sales in the District could increase from around £348.5million in 2020 to around £390.6milllion by 2033, potentially generating capacity for around 2,347sq.m of additional convenience goods in the plan period – the equivalent of an additional food store. However, these findings need to be assessed against market demand, and, in 2020, there was limited commercial appetite amongst mainstream grocers to establish new stores, with demand for new store openings mostly confined to the discount food market. Most of the major food store operators are already represented in the District. The assessment notes that opportunities to enhance Clacton’s convenience retail offer are likely to be limited to improving existing food store provision but that, if market conditions support it, any new provision should be directed to Clacton Town Centre as a priority, in line with the sequential approach and to support the Council’s objectives for rejuvenation of that centre.

Comparison Shopping

6.19The LSH Retail and Town Centre Uses Study (2020) estimates that turnover for comparison goods sales in the District could increase from around £291.6million to around £441.3million by 2033, however taking into account the emergence and success of on-line retailers in meeting comparison goods demands, the capacity for increasing physical comparison goods floorspace is likely to be much lower than for convenience goods. With a predicted increase in capacity of around 54sq.m by 2033, the need for additional comparison goods floorspace in the District is likely to be negligible and easily accommodated within either existing vacant town centre units or retail schemes that already benefit from planning permission.

6.20The Study highlighted at the time that Clacton is a vital and viable centre but could become vulnerable as a result of the economic impact of Covid-19. Council initiatives, alongside private investment in recent years, have seen considerable improvements to the built environment, which is beneficial to the town centre’s visitor experience. The Council is also working with partners on a programme of measures to rejuvenate Clacton Town Centre.

Retail Hierarchy

6.21With the introduction of the NPPF, there is now a need to take fresh look at how the delivery of retail is managed in the District.

6.22The NPPF requires planning policies to define a network and hierarchy of centres that promotes their long-term vitality and viability. It states that, planning policies should support the role that town centres play at the heart of their community’s vitality by taking a positive approach to their growth, management and adaptation.

6.23The NPPF continues the government’s commitment to place a high level of importance on the ‘town centre first’ approach to the delivery of retail, leisure, office, tourism and business development.

6.24The NPPF (Annex 2) defines the town centre as follows:

‘Area defined on the local authority’s policy map, including the primary shopping area and areas predominantly occupied by main town centre uses within or adjacent to the primary shopping area. References to town centres or centres apply to city centres, town centres, district centres and local centres but exclude small parades of shops of purely neighbourhood significance. Unless they are identified as centres in the development plan, existing out-of-centre developments, comprising or including main town centre uses, do not constitute town centres’.

6.25The district centres will usually comprise groups of shops often containing at least one supermarket or superstore, and a range of non-retail services, such as banks, building societies and restaurants, as well as local public facilities such as a library.

6.26Local centres include a range of small shops of a local nature, serving a small catchment. This might include, amongst other shops, a small supermarket, newsagent, a sub-post office and pharmacy. Other facilities could include a hot-food takeaway and launderette. In rural areas large villages may perform the role of a local centre.

6.27Small parades of shops of purely neighbourhood significance are not regarded as centres for the purposes of this policy statement.

6.28In order to plan positively to promote the vitality and viability of the town centres, the Council has identified a local retail hierarchy for the District that sets out the role and function of centres. The presumption would be that any proposals for a main town use would only be permitted if firstly every effort had been made to locate it in the defined centres as a preference (following the application of the ‘sequential test’).

6.29Our town, district, village and neighbourhood centres provide a significant proportion of the District’s local employment and business activity and offer a range of services, facilities and activities that meet the needs of both local residents and people that visit the area. These centres lie at the heart of our communities and are often the historic core of our towns, villages and neighbourhoods and the home to many attractive and historic spaces, buildings and other features.

6.30The nature of retail is changing, with the emergence of on-line shopping along with the popularity and convenience of large superstores. The Council wishes to promote the vitality and viability of these centres and accepts that with changes in shopping habits, they will need to move with the times to remain a focus for economic activity and community life.

6.31Therefore, our centres will need to change too by becoming more diverse in their offer. This includes embracing more leisure-based activities such as eating, drinking and socialising, promoting a vibrant evening economy, and utilising the internet as a promotional tool rather than seeing it as a threat to business. Additionally, centres should provide safe, attractive environments that people choose to visit for enjoyment rather than mere convenience, and ensure accessibility through multiple modes of transport.

6.32The Council and local businesses both have an important role to play in bringing about this change.

6.33The WYG Retail Study (2016) recommends that Clacton should continue to be classified as a major town centre and the following retail areas are classified as a town centres: Dovercourt, Walton-on-the-Naze, Frinton-on-Sea, Brightlingsea and Manningtree. This study classified Harwich as a District centre due to its level of retail provision and role it plays within the network of centres. The health check shows that Harwich has a total of 3,810sq.m retail and leisure floorspace and has a disjointed centre with a high level of non-town centre uses at ground-floor level.

6.34As well as the defined centres listed in Policy PP2, the District also contains a number of large modern retail parks or stand-alone supermarkets/retail outlets that are located in out-of-town centre (or edge-of-town centre) locations that often fulfil a need for bulky-goods retail that cannot be accommodated in town centres. The national planning policy is for main town centre uses to be located in town centres, then in edge of centre locations and only if suitable sites are not available should out of centre sites be considered.

6.35There are other small parades of shops across the towns and rural areas that are purely of neighbourhood significance but do not meet the definition of a centre. However, they contribute to the function of the local communities. The NPPF requires local planning authorities to plan positively for the provision of community facilities such as local shops and guard against the unnecessary loss of valued facilities and services. It is therefore appropriate to include an additional policy to protect and enhance these local facilities.

Local Impact Threshold

6.36In accordance with national planning policy, it is appropriate to identify locally set thresholds for the scale of edge-of-centre and out-of-centre retail, office and leisure development which should be subject to the assessment of the impact criteria set out by paragraph 94 of the NPPF.

6.37For the purposes of this policy, an ‘edge-of-centre’ location means:

• for retail development, a site within 300 metres of a ‘primary shopping area’ with good pedestrian connections to that primary shopping area;
• for office development, a site within 500 metres of a railway station;
• for other town centre uses, a site within 300 metres of a defined town, district, village or neighbourhood centre.

6.38An ‘out of centre’ location means a site that is not within a defined town, district, village or neighbourhood centre and not an edge-of-centre location, but that does fall within the Settlement Development Boundary of the settlement in question.

6.39The NPPF states that:

‘When assessing applications for retail and leisure development outside town centres, which are not in accordance with an up-to-date plan, local planning authorities should require an impact assessment if the development is over a proportionate, locally set floorspace threshold (if there is no locally set threshold, the default threshold is 2,500sq.m of gross floorspace)’. This should include assessment of:

• the impact of the proposal of existing, committed and planned public and private investment in a centre or centres in the catchment area of the proposal; and
• the impact of the proposal on town centre vitality and viability, including local consumer choice and trade in the town centre and wider retail catchment (as applicable to the scale and nature of the scheme).’

6.40Where an application fails to satisfy the sequential test or is likely to have significant adverse impact on one or more of the considerations in NPPF paragraph 94, it should be refused.

6.41The WYG Retail Study (2016) assessed the need for a local impact threshold and recommended that ‘a blanket approach’ would not be appropriate across all centres. The study advised that policy should advocate a tiered approach with different thresholds based upon the location, role and function of the centre. For example, a small convenience store would clearly have more impact on a local centre than a town centre. The study recommends that the thresholds should not only apply to new floorspace, but also to changes of use and variations of conditions to remove or amend restrictions on how units operate in practice.

Town Centre Uses

6.42The NPPF requires that planning policy should support the role that town centres play at the heart of local communities, by taking a positive approach to their growth, management and adaptation. Therefore, it is vital that the future needs of the District’s town centres are addressed through the Local Plan.

6.43With regard to the location for new retail, leisure and other town centre development (as defined in the NPPF), the Council will adopt the ‘sequential approach’ as set out in the NPPF. This states that for retail development the first preference should be for town, district or local centre sites, where suitable sites are available, followed by edge-of-centre sites, and only then out-of-centre sites. With regard to edge-of-centre and out-of-centre, a preference should be given to accessible sites which are well connected to the town centre.

6.44The NPPF states that local authorities should define areas within their town centres as primary shopping areas. These areas comprise the parts of the town centre where retail development is concentrated. It is the primary shopping areas of the town centres which are the preferred location for new retail development.

6.45The NPPF states that the planning authorities should define the extent of the town centres and primary shopping areas and set policies that make clear which uses will be permitted in such locations.

6.46Use Class E, which came into effect in September 2020, incorporates not only those uses which the NPPF defines as ‘Main town centre uses’, but also certain other uses such as medical services and some industrial. Changes between uses within this class will not be subject to a planning application, which will promote further diversification of town centres.

Primary Shopping Area

6.47The Primary Shopping Areas (PSA) shown on the Policies Maps and Local Maps are the defined areas where retail development is concentrated.

6.48Identification of the PSA and town centre boundary is necessary as these form the basis for the application of the sequential test for applications for town centre uses. The NPPF defines the edge of centre for retail purposes as a location that is well connected and up to 300m from the PSA. For all other main town centre uses (leisure, entertainment, arts, culture and tourism) this is a location within 300 metres of the defined town centre boundary and for office development a site within 500 meters of a public transport interchange.

6.49In exceptional cases where the Council agrees that retail, leisure or office development outside of a defined centre could be justified, applications may need to be accompanied by an 'impact assessment' which, in accordance with the NPPF, must include an assessment of:

• the impact of the proposal on existing, committed and planned public and private investment in a centre or centres in the catchment area of the proposal; and
• the impact of the proposal on town centre vitality and viability, including local consumer choice and trade in the defined centres and wider retail catchment (as applicable to the scale and nature of the scheme).

Delivering Economic Prosperity

6.50Tendring District has a diverse economy with local employment across a range of activities including our ports; on our industrial estates; in our town centres and retail parks; in our schools; hospitals, surgeries and care homes; in our hotels, guesthouses and holiday parks; on our farms and even in our homes, with many of our residents being self-employed or working in small businesses.

6.51The District is well connected to a network of major roads via the A120, A133 and A137, which provide routes to Chelmsford, London, the M25, Stansted Airport and the Port of Felixstowe. Transportation provision in the District includes 14 railway stations with connections to Colchester, Chelmsford, Ipswich, Norwich, Stratford and London.

6.52Tendring District’s economy is closely linked to the maritime industry, although it has a diverse economy with local employment across a range of activities. However, like many coastal areas, residents in some parts of the District choose or have to commute out of the area for work, especially to neighbouring Colchester. So, creating new and better-paid jobs for existing and future generations of residents is, and will continue to be, one of the Council’s top priorities. A key requirement of this Local Plan is to provide for appropriate sustainable employment opportunities for residents in Tendring and to support the growth of local businesses and attract investment in the District.

6.53The primary objective of this Local Plan is to support and diversify the economy while maintaining a broad balance between homes and jobs in order to achieve self-reliance. Strategic Policies PP6 and PP7 provide a strategic policy framework for achieving this. It seeks to ensure that sufficient high-quality sites are identified to support the delivery of job targets; gives priority to the enhancement of existing employment sites and regeneration of previously developed land; safeguarding existing and committed sites; supports initiatives which promote skills and training and safeguards and enhances tourism and cultural assets of the District.

6.54Essex County Council has undertaken a ‘Grow on Space Feasibility Study’ to explore the need for employment ‘Grow-On Space’ within the county. Such flexible employment space, between 100 – 300 sqm in scale, is required to enable flexible premises for businesses to move on from incubation/enterprise centres/start-up spaces, and free up these units for other start-ups. The Essex Economic Commission also identified an inadequate supply of flexible tenures (e.g. Grow-on Space), which is holding back successful businesses that want to expand and grow. Tendring District Council will consider which interventions are the most appropriate and viable to ensure the provision of flexible local employment space (by tenure) in the plan area.

6.55The Tendring Employment Land Review (2025) highlights the importance of promoting Tendring District as a vibrant and sustainable location to live, work, and invest. The study identifies key growth sectors including port and logistics, advanced manufacturing, and high-tech/knowledge-driven industries, while also recognising the continued potential of sectors such as offshore wind, care and assisted living, agri-tech, engineering, hospitality, and retail to contribute to job creation across the District.

6.56The Employment Land Review sets out a range of employment land requirements, from 5.36 hectares (Baseline Labour Demand scenario) to 30.69 hectares (Higher Growth scenario), with the Labour Supply and Past Trends scenarios indicating a need for approximately 17 hectares. The Employment Land Review advises that planning solely on the basis of the baseline scenario would likely fall short of meeting future demand, particularly considering major developments such as Freeport East. Employment development should be focused in sustainable locations where it can be integrated with housing growth and supported by sustainable transport. Existing strategically important employment sites—such as Bathside Bay and the Tendring-Colchester Garden Community—should be safeguarded, with new allocations considered along key transport corridors including the A120, A133, and A12.

6.57The Employment Land Review continues to support the Tendring Colchester Borders Garden Community as a strategic employment location, citing its strong transport connectivity and proximity to Colchester and Essex University as key advantages. This area is expected to deliver medium- to long-term employment opportunities and contribute significantly to the District’s economic strategy. In line with the recommendation within the Employment Land Review, the Council may consider Article 4 Directions to safeguard strategic employment areas from residential conversion and will only release employment land when robust evidence shows it is no longer viable or needed.

6.58The Council will ensure that the right amount and type of employment land is available in locations that balance the demands of the market with the capacity of infrastructure and the need to protect, and where possible enhance the environment. This includes policies within this Local Plan on:

• Safeguarding existing and committed employment sites, including Royal Mail sorting and delivery offices, which are of the right quality and suitably located in relation to infrastructure. This will include safeguarding employment land allocations for a range of uses in support of a balanced economy;
• Providing for additional sites in sustainable locations to meet the business needs of the growing District;
• Supporting the enhancement of skills in the local workforce through improved opportunities for education and training to provide a more dynamic and flexible labour market;
• Promoting the provision of infrastructure and services needed to provide a competitive business environment, including support and electronic communications infrastructure notably enhanced broadband provision; and,
• Promoting the diversification of the rural economy, in particular by supporting the retention and development of local services and community facilities in villages; supporting farm diversification including the conversion of existing farm buildings and infrastructure for employment and other commercial developments such as tourism.

Protecting Existing Employment Sites

6.59In order to maintain an adequate level of employment land to meet the needs of the local economy, the Council wants to protect defined employment areas from uses which would be better located in other areas of the District. The Council does not wish to inhibit the ability of existing firms to expand. It will be supportive of the redevelopment of sites which would lead to an improvement in the quality of employment floorspace suited to modern day needs.

6.60Policy PP6 recognises the valuable role of locally important existing employment areas and establishes the need to protect them from loss to alternative uses. The identification of locally important existing employment sites has arisen through joint work with the Council’s Economic Development and Regeneration team.

Supporting Growth of Existing Employment Sites in the Countryside

6.61The Tendring District contains extensive areas of countryside that contribute to its rural character, landscape quality, biodiversity, and sense of place. While the countryside is primarily protected for its openness and environmental value, it is also home to a number of established employment sites that play an important role in supporting the local economy and providing jobs.

6.62This policy seeks to enable the sustainable growth of these existing businesses by allowing proportionate extensions where they are necessary for operational continuity or expansion. However, any development in the countryside must be carefully managed to ensure that it does not harm the character of the landscape, lead to unsustainable patterns of development, or compromise environmental quality.

6.63Proposals for extensions to existing employment sites in the countryside will therefore need to demonstrate:

• A clear operational or economic need;
• That the extension is physically well-related to the existing site and proportionate in scale;
• That impacts on landscape, biodiversity, and rural character are minimised; and
• That appropriate design, access, and infrastructure measures can be accommodated.

6.64This approach aligns with the NPPF, which supports sustainable economic growth while safeguarding the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside.

New Employment Sites Allocations

6.65Only a certain proportion of jobs are located in employment areas and fall within the uses classes B2 general industrial; B8 storage and distribution; Eg (ii) research and development and Eg (iii) industrial processes; and uses that are classified as sui generis if they are akin to employment type uses which accord with the caveats set out in Policy PP6. The rest of the jobs in the local economy consist of ‘services’ such as: retail, health, education and leisure, amongst others. Therefore, when making provision for jobs in Policy PP7 only jobs falling into the B, Eg (ii) and Eg(iii) use classes (and appropriate sui generis uses) will be acceptable unless the site allocation policies for Policy PP7, in Chapter 9 - Delivering Places state otherwise.

6.66To ensure resilience and flexibility, the Council proposes a qualitative approach to additional employment land allocations. This approach prioritises sites that:

• Are strategically located along key transport corridors (A120, A133, A12) and near major growth areas.
• Support identified growth sectors, including clean energy, logistics, advanced manufacturing, care and assisted living, and innovation.
• Offer opportunities for mixed-use development integrated with housing growth, reducing the need to travel and promoting sustainable communities.
• Provide modern employment space to address gaps in the current market, such as grow-on space for SMEs and high-quality logistics hubs.
• Enable the planning and delivery of new Garden Communities, ensuring employment land is integrated with housing and infrastructure.

6.67These sites are intended to provide flexibility and choice in the market to meet occupier demand. It is anticipated that many of these sites will be delivered beyond the current Local Plan period, forming part of a long-term strategy for economic resilience and sustainable growth.

Tourism, Leisure and Hotel Development

6.68The Local Plan’s strategic objective for Tourism Promotion is “To work with partners to provide an enhanced environment for tourism and the maritime sector and its associated services.”

Tourism

6.69Tourism is worth approximately £450 million to Tendring District (Economic Impact Report, 2024). Many of our district’s jobs are related in some way to tourism, whether that is directly in hotels, caravan and chalet parks and tourist attractions or indirectly in shops, cafés and restaurants. A significant proportion of new jobs in our district could come from tourism if the right action is taken by providing an appropriate range of tourist attractions and holiday accommodation. With that in mind, the Council’s Tourism Strategy identifies the following core objectives to develop tourism in Tendring District:

• increase visitor numbers - annually, day trips and overnight stays;
• increase economic benefit;
• improve the Tendring’s tourism profile via digital and social media
• improve partnership working – working with local communities to set up localised tourism boards to drive promotion; and
• improve the visitor offer – supporting current high-quality visitor offer and visitor accommodation and work towards increasing available high quality bed space.

6.70To achieve these objectives, the Tourism Strategy sets out ten priorities for action:

1. Develop individual brand identity: Recognise, embrace and promote the unique nature and selling points of the individual towns and destinations around the District. Where appropriate promote and develop existing brands, for example Essex Sunshine Coast, Love Clacton and Historic Harwich
2. Develop an Events Programme: Develop and sustain a quality District wide programme to attract visitors, extend the tourism season and to increase brand awareness through:
   1. quality in-house managed events for example Clacton Airshow, Tendring4Growth, Beside the Seaside, Tour de Tendring, Illuminate Festival, the seasonal pantomime and events at the Princes Theatre
   2. attract, facilitate and support quality externally delivered events
3. Promotion of the District/Digital Marketing: Promote the District as a great place to visit. Develop resources to focus on digital marketing, through appropriate websites and social media channels.
4. Improve tourism infrastructure: Work to develop the resident & visitor experience by improving presentation of key areas, wayfinding and enforcement where appropriate. Support and facilitate the private sector to invest in new opportunities which meet the objectives of this strategy.
5. Develop/Improve the Seafront Offer: Ensure the 27 miles of coastline in the District is maintained to the highest standards achievable within available resources and seek opportunities to develop seafront attractions to improve the resident and visitor offer.
6. Private Sector Support: Provide guidance to private sector tourism providers/investors to support job creation. Work with partners to encourage new tourism attractions and improve existing facilities.
7. Promotion of the District as an area for Outdoor Activities: Work with partners to improve infrastructure and raise the profile of the District as a destination for walking, cycling, water sports, dog walking and other outdoor activities.
8. Manage Resources: In order to focus long term planning, set up partnership boards of public, private and voluntary sector partners in key locations around the District. Actively seek external funding opportunities for projects which meet the aspirations set out in this strategy.
9. Planning: Use the Tourism Strategy to guide Planning Policy to protect quality visitor attractions and visitor accommodation. Work with the private sector to attract new high quality tangible assets in our towns to attract and retain visitors. Work with the private sector to increase the number of high-quality bed spaces.
10. Develop/Improve Heritage Offer: Work to create a tangible, bookable product to enhance and improve the resident & visitor experience.

6.71This Local Plan has an important role to play in facilitating the kinds of development that will contribute positively toward economic growth in the tourism sector. The Council’s approach to the development of tourism and visitors’ attraction is in line with Priorities 4,5,6,7and 9 set out above. Whilst the Council is keen to promote the area as a tourist destination by making best use of its assets, it is important to ensure that such assets are not exploited and potentially harmed or lost altogether. The relevant policies in this Local Plan will help to ensure that growth in the tourism industry in Tendring District is carried out in a sustainable manner that respects the wider environment and protects it for future generations to enjoy.

6.72Another important aspect of promoting Tendring District’s tourism economy will be to ensure that the District offers a range of visitor accommodation in different locations that will appeal to different people’s tastes, budgets and interests. As the nature of tourism has changed so much over the years, Tendring District cannot rely purely on the provision of traditional holiday accommodation provided at seaside holiday parks, hotels, guesthouses and bed & breakfasts. Increasingly people will visit Tendring District for short weekend breaks, to visit friends and family, to attend weddings and other family functions or even for business purposes. Policies PP8-PP11 set out the Council’s approach to the creation, improvement and the protection of potential loss of different types of visitor accommodation.

Hotels and Guesthouses

6.73Hotels and guesthouses provide accommodation to visitors who come to the area for a variety of reasons including holidays, weekend trips, business, visiting friends and family or attending family events or other functions. There had been a steady decline in the number of hotels and guesthouses in the District, many of which were either converted or redeveloped for residential use or care. However, to bring about growth in the District’s tourism economy, a diverse range of visitor accommodation is essential and Policy PP9 below sets out the Council’s approach to protecting hotels and guesthouses from being lost to alternative uses and supporting the provision of new and improved facilities.

Holiday Parks, Camping and Caravanning

Camping and Caravanning

6.74Although the Tendring District has a lot of static caravan sites, there is limited provision of sites for camping and touring caravans/motorhomes. Supporting the establishment of new camping and caravanning sites and encouraging the provision of camping and caravanning pitches at existing holiday parks will help to diversify the range of accommodation available to visitors to the area which, in turn, will support growth in the economy.

Holiday Parks

6.75Holiday Parks play a very important role in the District’s tourism economy but in promoting a diverse range of visitor accommodation, the Council recognises that trends are changing along with the aspirations and demands of caravan and chalet owners.

6.76The Council has reviewed the District’s stock of holiday parks and has identified a number of ‘safeguarded sites’ on the Policies Maps that play a significant role in supporting the local tourism economy and that will therefore be protected from redevelopment for alternative uses. Not all of the District’s parks are shown as safeguarded sites because the Council recognises that changing economic conditions and tourism trends could have a negative effect on some of the smaller sites being able to remain viable and, in some cases, redevelopment for an alternative use might be more beneficial to the local economy.

6.77One trend that is having a significant impact on some of the District’s caravan parks is that modern static caravans are becoming increasingly large, luxurious and technologically advanced. The modern caravan owner also demands better standards of layout and spaciousness. Many of the District’s safeguarded and other existing sites either have pitches that are too small to accommodate these modern caravans or layouts that are too dense to take the larger vans and achieve reasonable areas of space between them. For this reason, the Council will support proposals for both safeguarded and any other existing sites to extend onto adjoining undeveloped land outside of defined Settlement Development Boundaries as long as it ensures that the overall layout, amenity, appearance and quality of accommodation will be improved for the entire site (both the existing site and the area proposed for expansion) as part of a comprehensive programme. The Council will have regard to other policies in the Local Plan to ensure the impacts of development are minimised and/or mitigated and may use planning conditions or legal agreements to ensure that the extension of a site is carried out alongside comprehensive improvements to the overall site layout.

6.78Given that Tendring District already accommodates a significant number of static caravan parks and the Council is committed to promoting a diverse range of visitor accommodation, the Council will not support any proposals to establish new static caravan parks in the District. The Council will however support proposals for new high quality holiday villages comprising well designed timber chalets set on plinths and with pitched roofs, located preferably in a predominantly wooded and undulating landscape setting with water features with high quality leisure facilities and activities. There is also potential to upgrade existing holiday parks to improve their quality and their facilities and/or to provide similar or alternative accommodation typologies such as chalets or cabins.’Center Parcs’ at Elveden Forest in Suffolk provides a good indication of the type of facility and the level of quality that the Council wants to establish in Tendring District.

6.79The loss of holiday accommodation to permanent residential use displaces accommodation intended for tourism use, which has a knock-on effect on the District’s economy. The Council will therefore use planning conditions/legal agreements to ensure that this does not occur and in order for a site to comply with its licence, the site owner/operator will be expected to share the responsibility of managing and enforcing this requirement. Additionally, because holiday accommodation is often unsuitable for permanent occupation and located in areas that often lack the necessary and appropriate infrastructure and services for longer occupation, the Council will restrict the holiday occupancy period and; where sites are located in an area vulnerable to flooding, the period of restricted occupancy will be expected to take place during the winter months when there is a greater likelihood of higher tides and severe weather. The length of occupancy period set will take 'into account the site's location and the character and merits of the proposal such as the degree of flood risk, its relationship to an existing site (e.g. if it is a proposed extension), proposals for flood risk mitigation, design, the quality of accommodation provided and emergency planning. Change of use to permanent residential and extended periods of holiday occupation can also impact on protected wildlife sites, which are often located close to existing holiday parks. Where parks are proposed to be expanded to increase their level of provision, an element of park home provision to support the overall viability of the park might be considered so long as an appropriate mix is maintained which ensures the focus is firmly on tourism uses, rather than residential uses,and other policy requirements around flood risk, quality, infrastructure provision and sustainability are met.

Improving Education and Skills

6.80The Local Plan’s strategic objectives for Education are “To improve and provide good quality educational opportunities and prospects for Tendring’s residents as part of the sustainable community strategy. This includes practical vocational training and apprenticeship”.

6.81Theskills base of the District’s residents is another factor that is critical to economic growth and future prosperity. The number of young people who reach adulthood with few, or no, qualifications or skills is a real concern for the Council because it can lead to unemployment and other social problems which could have the effect of discouraging business investment. The Council will therefore continue to work in partnership with local schools, colleges and Essex County Council as the Local Education Authority to ensure that the educational needs of Tendring’s growing population are met and that all Tendring’s youngsters have the opportunity to realise their full potential.

6.82Apart from ensuring that the planned growth in housing development is supported by investment in either building new or creating capacity in our primary and secondary schools through the planning system, the Council is very conscious that the environment in which young people are brought up will have a major bearing on their aspirations for the future and their willingness to work hard and achieve a good education. The proposals in this plan to deliver high-quality aspirational housing, embrace the digital revolution, improve transport and create jobs all form part of an overall strategy which, over time, will improve the educational and employment prospects of future generations.

6.83Alongside primary and secondary education, the Council supports investment in sixth-form, adult education and training centre facilities and the planned growth of Essex University, which is close to the Tendring border with Colchester. In addition, the emergence of digital technology and renewable energy technology is expected to yield significant job opportunities in the coming years, so the Council will work with education providers and the industries involved to set up vocational training courses and will support appropriate proposals for dedicated training facilities.

6.84Existing educational facilities will be protected from potential loss through the Community Facilities Policy of this Local Plan and support will be given to proposals that will result in improved facilities, including proposals to expand existing facilities or create new facilities. Given the importance of education to the future prosperity of our District and the limited public funding available to deliver necessary improvements, the Council will also consider proposals for the redevelopment of existing educational facilities or ancillary land for housing or other appropriate uses where that development will fund the delivery of new and/or improved facilities within a reasonable proximity to the original facility. The Council may consider using legal agreements to ensure that the new or improved facilities are delivered alongside any redevelopment proposal.

6.85Alongside the development and improvement of educational facilities, the Council is keen that any development projects provide employment and training prospects for local people. To do this, the Council will require applicants for residential and non-residential development to prepare and sign an Employment and Skills Plan - also referred to as a Local Labour Agreement - with Essex County Council and Tendring District Council (see The Essex County Council Developers’ Guide to Infrastructure Contributions) . This will require developers to recruit and train Tendring residents as an integral part of the construction process, as well as for longer term opportunities (including apprenticeships) resulting from the operation of the development. Developers will also be required to work with small and medium size businesses, and the Council will use planning conditions (or legal agreements) to ensure that, as far as is possible and practical, local people are employed.

Rural Economy

6.86Whilst the thrust of both local and national policy is to direct new jobs to existing built up areas and centres of employment, it is recognised that the District’s rural areas and open countryside also make an important contribution to the overall economy of the District and so the Council should seek to achieve sustainable economic growth of its rural economy. Agriculture, in particular, which generally requires a countryside location, remains a source of local employment and continues to play an important role in the local economy and so the Council will continue to support proposals for agricultural-related development (where permission is required) provided adverse impacts on the environment are kept to a minimum.

6.87It is also acknowledged that the District’s rural areas and countryside are used for certain activities that need to take place in these areas, some of which can bring about positive outcomes for the rural economy and so the Council will support proposals for appropriate development in the countryside that would help strengthen the rural economy, subject to meeting other policies in this Local Plan and national planning policy.

Priority Areas for Regeneration

6.88Certain parts of the District require focused attention in order to improve the quality of life, the economy and the physical environment, to make these better places to live, work and visit. The Council has identified five ‘Priority Areas for Regeneration’ which will be a focus for new initiatives. It will work with its partners to help deliver key improvements in those areas.

6.89The Current progress of the Priority Areas for Regeneration are as follows:

Clacton Town Centre and Seafront:

6.90The Council has been working with local businesses and other stakeholders to develop a vision and action plan for rejuvenating Clacton Town Centre and Seafront in the face of declining footfall, shop closures and issues with social-economic deprivation. The positive vision for Clacton in 2030 (the ‘Love Clacton’ vision) is for it to become a well-loved, year-round destination positively promoting the town’s seaside heritage, the beaches and famous attractions. The Council and its partners are seeking to deliver short-term improvements in the town centre around transport and the public realm to support local businesses and improve footfall whilst developing a longer-term spatial plan for development of new homes, more modern business space, community facilities, improved transport access and space for arts and entertainment which will guide planning decisions to attract private investment and government funding. The Council’s objectives for Clacton Town Centre and the Seafront are to:

• Make the town centre a destination associated with fun and enjoyment where people are just as likely to go to meet socially and be entertained, as for shopping;
• Turn the town centre into an all-weather shopping and leisure destination where, come rain or shine, there are things to enjoy and reasons to visit, and to stay longer;
• Make the town centre vibrant - concentrating activity in its central core and increasing the resident population through quality housing above shops and in side streets;
• Make sure the town centre works in seamless harmony with the town’s beaches and seaside attractions with activity and trade in both areas extending into the evenings;
• Actively promote the ‘Love Clacton’ brand both physically throughout the town centre and through a variety of digital and other communication channels;
• Positively promote the town’s unique history and seaside heritage through its branding, public realm, architecture, events and activities – to set it apart from other places;
• Make the town centre a place that people can get to easily and conveniently by all forms of transport and prepare it for the predicted rise in the ownership of electric cars;
• Make the town centre safe, easy and convenient to navigate for pedestrians of all ages and physical abilities and improve connectivity to surrounding assets;
• Bring the town centre into the digital age to enable people to work remotely and access online and app-based services and information; and
• Make the town centre a hub for education, public services, community activities and clubs and manage the transition from a retail destination to a more varied and mixed offer.

6.91The Council is currently developing the Pride in Place Regeneration Plan and Cultural Masterplan, the latter is intended to be adopted as an SPD.

Jaywick Sands:

6.92Jaywick Sands was originally built as a seaside resort for Londoners in the 1930’s with small chalets built on private un-adopted roads; this being a classic example of plot land development. Over time, many of the holiday homes were converted to permanent dwellings, partly as a result of people moving from bombed out homes in the Second World War. As they were never intended as permanent homes, many being of wooden construction, the housing does not meet building regulation requirements, and the infrastructure is substandard. While Jaywick Sands suffers from considerable social and economic problems, it also has a core of longstanding residents with a strong sense of community who are extremely keen to see improvements to the area. The Council’s objectives are to:

• Transform housing quality and the built environment;
• Ensure long term flood resilience;
• Create greater connectivity to neighbouring areas;
• Attract commerce & new economic opportunities; and
• Improve people's life chances, access to public services & health & wellbeing.

6.93To deliver these objectives, the Council adopted the Jaywick Sands Place Plan in 2024 – a comprehensive 20-year vision developed collaboratively with the local community and key stakeholders. This plan promotes sustainable development and resilience, setting out a bold programme of action:

• Delivering high-quality homes that are affordable, energy-efficient, and designed to withstand flood risk, supporting climate adaptation and inclusive growth.
• Enhancing public spaces and streetscapes to create attractive, accessible, and safe environments that foster social interaction and wellbeing.
• Implementing robust flood defence measures to protect residents, businesses, and the natural environment, ensuring long-term resilience.
• Improving transport connectivity and digital infrastructure, reducing reliance on private vehicles and supporting sustainable travel choices.
• Stimulating the local economy by creating opportunities for business, tourism, and employment, encouraging entrepreneurship and inward investment.
• Promoting health and wellbeing through improved access to public services and high-quality green spaces.

6.94Progress is already visible. The Sunspot is a landmark, purpose-built business centre on the Jaywick Sands seafront, offering 24 affordable units for retail, office, studio, and workshop use, alongside shared facilities. It provides an ideal base for entrepreneurs, start-ups, and established businesses seeking to grow in a prime coastal location.

6.95Funding for the Sunspot was secured through strong partnership working:

• Essex County Council: £2.03m
• Getting Building Fund (administered by SELEP): £1.972m
• Tendring District Council: £405,000

6.96This investment builds on earlier proposals for a covered market and commercial space, delivering a vibrant hub for local enterprise.

6.97The Healthy Homes Team is working to raise housing standards and improve living conditions across Jaywick Sands. This includes tackling poor-quality housing, supporting energy efficiency upgrades, and ensuring homes meet modern safety and accessibility standards.

6.98On 17 February 2023, Tendring District Council adopted the Jaywick Sands Design Guide as a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). This guide forms part of the planning policy framework and sets clear standards for new development, including replacement dwellings and infill schemes. It addresses:

• Character and sense of place
• Flood safety and climate resilience
• Scale and building form
• Streetscape quality
• Sustainability and accessibility

6.99This ensures regeneration benefits the community while managing flood risk through bespoke design solutions rather than restricting development.

6.100Significant investment underpins this vision. Through a Community Regeneration Partnership with Government, the Council and Essex County Council secured £20 million for regeneration in Clacton and Jaywick Sands. This funding is delivering projects such as:

• Revitalising parks and play areas and creating a memorial garden
• Installing solar panels at Sunspot to reduce carbon emissions
• Expanding the Healthy Homes initiative and clearing derelict sites

6.101Connectivity improvements include a new asphalt cycle path linking Jaywick Sands to Clacton, opened in May 2023. Running along the sea wall, it provides a safer alternative to narrow roads and better access for commuters and leisure cyclists. The route incorporates:

• Revetment stabilisation to prevent sand drift
• Off-grid lighting powered by wind and solar
• Wayfinding signage and drainage systems

6.102Future plans will build on this success with additional walking and cycling routes, supporting active travel and reducing carbon emissions.

6.103These initiatives demonstrate how the Place Plan is already making a measurable difference. The Council aims to build on this momentum to deliver further improvements in housing, public spaces, connectivity, and economic opportunities – fully supporting the principles of CP1 and the Place Plan.

Harwich Old Town:

6.104The Economic Development Strategy seeks to balance the evolution of Harwich as a port with the ongoing evolution of the visitor economy in the town and surrounding area. Aims for regeneration of Old Harwich include:

• Maximising the opportunity offered by ‘Freeport’ status and the proposals for expansion at Harwich International Port and Bathside Bay;
• Preserve and enhance the Conservation Area and heritage assets within it with public realm improvements and appropriate redevelopments of under-utilised and unsympathetic sites and premises close to the waterfront;
• Promote the town’s history and association with the Mayflower voyages as a means of increasing tourist activity, footfall and economic activity;
• Deliver residential and commercial opportunities to support economic growth in the old town area; and
• Support opportunities to improve water-based recreation facilities in the area.

6.105Freeport East was announced on the 3 March 2021 by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his budget speech. Freeport East offers a unique opportunity to build a truly global trade hub at the same time as accelerating opportunities in green energy and helping level-up the economy. Harwich is benefiting from significant investment through the Freeport East programme, which includes the delivery of the Harwich Innovation Hub. This facility provides flexible and scalable workspace designed to support businesses in key growth sectors such as clean energy, artificial intelligence, digital technologies, and maritime industries. The Hub offers office accommodation, networking and mentoring opportunities, and training for local entrepreneurs.

6.106Delivered with support from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Volunteer It Yourself (VIY), the initiative also contributes to community skills development by engaging young people in trade-based projects. The Innovation Hub forms part of Freeport East’s wider strategy to attract inward investment and promote Harwich as a centre for innovation, showcased at international events such as the World Hydrogen Summit and Global Offshore Wind.

6.107This regeneration initiative will help diversify the local economy, create high-quality employment opportunities, and strengthen Harwich’s role as a strategic gateway, while complementing the town’s historic character and maritime heritage.

6.108Harwich Old Town is the focus of heritage-led regeneration initiatives that aim to preserve its historic character while enhancing its role as a cultural and visitor destination. A key project is the restoration of Ha’penny Pier, one of the UK’s few surviving Victorian wooden piers. Investment by Harwich Haven Authority delivered essential structural repairs, safeguarding this landmark and improving its appeal for tourism and leisure.

6.109Alongside this, Tendring District Council continues to apply heritage-led regeneration principles within Old Harwich, prioritising the conservation of listed buildings, improving the public realm along the quayside, and strengthening pedestrian connectivity. These measures will support the vitality of the town centre, attract visitors, and encourage investment, ensuring that Harwich’s unique maritime heritage remains central to its future growth.

Dovercourt Town Centre and adjoining areas:

6.110Dovercourt continues to make significant strides towards the vision set out in the Town Centre Masterplan, which aims to create a vibrant, attractive, and economically resilient town centre. The ambition remains to create a thriving town with a vibrant High Street, diverse retail and leisure offer, high-quality public spaces, and strong connections to its stunning coastal setting. Key Achievements and ongoing Initiatives include:

6.111Dovercourt Town Centre Improvement Corridor (£9 million investment):
Supported by £6.7 million from the Government’s Capital Regeneration Projects Fund, alongside contributions from Tendring District Council and Essex County Council, this programme is transforming the Kingsway corridor from Dovercourt Railway Station to the seafront. Works include:

• Streetscape upgrades with new paving, lighting, and planting.
• Enhanced public spaces at the Queen Victoria statue (Marine Parade), Harwich Library forecourt, and Railway Station plaza.
• Improved pedestrian safety through a 20mph speed limit on Station Road, Kingsway, and Marine Parade.

6.112Milton Road Car Park Redevelopment: The outdated multi-storey car park was demolished in October 2025 and replaced with a modern 23-space facility featuring electric vehicle charging points and decorative railings inspired by Dovercourt’s maritime heritage.

6.113Harwich Library Refurbishment: A £1.16 million upgrade has delivered a contemporary design, 182 sqm of new floorspace, a mezzanine level, and two new rooms. The library now hosts Adult Community Learning (ACL) facilities and community events, supporting skills development and local enterprise.

6.114These improvements are central to creating a high-quality public realm and ensuring Dovercourt becomes an attractive place to live, work, shop, and visit. Further phases of the masterplan will continue to build on this momentum, reinforcing Dovercourt’s role as a key regeneration area within Tendring.

Walton-on-the Naze:

6.115Walton-on-the-Naze, like many traditional seaside towns, has experienced social and economic decline in recent decades. The Council remains committed to reversing this trend and delivering a comprehensive regeneration strategy that builds on the town’s unique environmental and heritage assets. The overarching objectives for Walton’s regeneration are to:

• Build a strong all year-round economy - diversifying and extending the local economy to create new business and employment opportunities;
• Create a unique destination which maximises its environmental and heritage assets - realising the largely untapped potential of Walton, presented by its natural environment and heritage, to create a destination unlike any other in the region;
• Make Walton a place where people will choose to live and realise their potential - a town with a good range of housing, retail, community and leisure facilities which will attract people of all ages and encourage them to stay; and
• Ensure a sustainable future for Walton - maintaining a balance between economic growth and environmental management.

6.116The Walton-on-the-Naze Regeneration Framework identifies a series of key projects to deliver these objectives. These include new tourist attractions, housing developments, commercial and leisure facilities, improved sea defences, enhanced parking provision, environmental improvements, and better pedestrian and cycle networks. Notable progress has already been made, including the redevelopment of the former Martello Caravan Park and the creation of Crag Walk. In November 2025, essential coastal protection and sea defence works were completed at The Naze. These works focused on replacing damaged gabion baskets and installing new ones behind Crag Walk. The £70,000 project, jointly funded by Tendring District Council and the Naze Protection Society, is designed to prevent tidal erosion and safeguard the fragile cliffs and habitats for at least the next decade. This investment forms part of the Council’s ongoing commitment to climate resilience and environmental management, ensuring that Walton-on-the-Naze remains protected while supporting its long-term regeneration objectives.

Development at Walton Mere

6.117Walton Mere, originally constructed as a mill pond in the 17th Century, was used as a popular boating lake from the 1930s until its closure in 1976. Since then the Mere has remained disused, but there has long remained an aspiration to bring about restoration to support recreation and tourism activities in the town as part of a wider programme of regeneration – acknowledging that an element of residential or commercial enabling development might be necessary to make any project economically viable; but that any development would need to recognise and address important environmental considerations and flood risk issues.

6.118In 2009, the Council adopted a Regeneration Framework for Walton-on-the-Naze which included proposals for the Mere and surrounding sites. The proposals in the Regeneration Framework for the Mere were specifically aimed at delivering new water sports and associated education facilities, spectator viewing amphitheatre, enabling residential development and a new inner promenade. A planning application for a major scheme at the Mere was submitted 2011 including a large yacht haven, a supermarket and other commercial units, a health centre, residential development and a care home – but this was withdrawn following the grant of planning permission for a food store on the neighbouring Martello Caravan Park site and a significant level of local objection to the scale of the development proposed at that time and potential impacts on the wider area.

6.119At a similar time, the Mere was the subject of an ecological survey that led to it being identified as a Local Wildlife Site (LoWS). This followed a change in policy allowing intertidal habitat to be included within the network of LoWS sites. Thie site was identified as a Local Wildlife Site at the time because it consisted of an area of saltmarsh providing a useful sheltered roosting and resting site for coastal wildfowl and waders as well as supporting the notable plants. However, the ecological value of the Mere has declined over the years having been affected by natural processes of silting up and extensive growth in invasive spartina.

6.120The owners of the Mere have indicated a desire to bring forward an appropriate scheme for the restoration of the Mere that could include the re-introduction of a boating area and/or a fish nursery, significant saltmarsh habitat creation, improvements to sea defences and some residential enabling development in the form of high-quality floating homes or houseboats. The Town Council and the local community they represent are keen to see something positive happen with the Mere along these lines, and with new legislation in place around Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) (see Policies PPL4 and PPL 4a), there is now the scope, and a legal requirement to enhance the overall ecological value of the site as part of any proposal.

6.121Policy PP15 below therefore sets out the Council’s support, in principle, for an appropriate package of development that brings about the positive restoration of the Mere and its expectations that, alongside other relevant policies in this Local Plan, against which proposals will be considered on their merits.

Delivery of a Village Car Park at St Osyth

6.122The centre of St. Osyth is historic in its character and tightly constrained, offering very limited car parking space for visitors to the shops and services in the village centre. Whilst the village has a small car park, it has limited capacity. In previous years the Bury at St. Osyth Priory was used informally for additional parking, but with the restoration of the Priory and its recent use as a wedding and events venue, the Bury is no longer available for that use. St. Osyth Parish Council has identified an urgent need for additional parking space close to the centre of the village to maintain access to local shops, services and community facilities and to support the village centre economy. Policy PP16 below provides criteria under which proposals for a new public car park could be considered, including the potential for a mixed development incorporating parking and a moderate level of housing located and designed in a sensitive manner.