Residents living with 'foul water' for years

Councillors hoped to revamp Jaywick Sands in Essex

Residents from England's most deprived neighbourhood have had to put up with issues with sewage water and a "lack of maintenance on many streets" for years.

Jaywick Sands, in Essex, has problems with "foul and surface water drainage", a Tendring Council document showed.

It said the issue was due to "the historic development of the village and the confusion around responsibilities for maintaining and improving the streets and the drainage network".

Under the Jaywick Sands Place Plan, which will be presented at a cabinet meeting on Friday, councillors hoped to work with statutory providers to address the issue.

Jaywick, near Clacton-on-Sea, has been designated as a Priority Area for Regeneration within the Tendring Local Plan.

Other proposals to enhance the area included upgrading flood defences, revamping housing and refurbishing public spaces.

The report said: "Jaywick Sands has been experiencing issues with foul and surface water drainage, as well as a lack of maintenance of many streets within the village.

"This is due to the historic development of the village and the confusion around responsibilities for maintaining and improving the streets and the drainage network.

"The increasing intensity of rainfall due to climate change has worsened the situation, leading to an increased frequency of surface water flooding."

The report said once an "approach" has been agreed, work would begin to improve the network and "make it resilient".

It warned the project would be "costly and disruptive and will require phasing".

"The scale of funding required cannot be established without further engagement with statutory undertakers, including Anglian Water and the Environment Agency, and more detailed technical studies," it added.

An Anglian Water spokesperson told the BBC it would work with stakeholders to "find solutions".

“Through the Tendring District Council’s Jaywick Sands Place Plan, we’ll be establishing a working group with the District Council, Essex County Council and the Environment Agency, to establish an agreed approach and responsibilities for each organisation," it said.

"As part of this group, we’ll be working together on technical studies to find solutions to the surface water challenge in Jaywick, and aiming to secure funding to put these solutions in place.”

The Environment Agency was contacted for comment.