Jaywick is facing the consequences of coastal change: long-term sea level rise and increased storminess that will make it increasingly likely that there will be a major flood from the sea. The long-term demands on sea defences will make it very expensive in the future to maintain the level of protection that Jaywick currently enjoys.
This high level of risk and the resulting restrictions placed on development has depressed land values. This has resulted in Jaywick having inexpensive housing, often of poor quality, which in turn has attracted people on low incomes and often with related health problems.
This is not an issue unique to Jaywick, but the cumulative problems are of a large scale here. Across the East of England this issue has been examined in detail by a partnership of authorities and others in an exercise called the ‘Coastal Initiative’. The lessons learned provide a strategic action plan for the East of England generally, the draft available here and here.
In Jaywick, there needs to be a parallel approach. A long-term strategy informed by the Coastal Initiative and embedded within the local development framework, and a shorter term focus on alleviating poverty, tackling its effects, and making Jaywick a better place to live – CoastNet’s approach is to develop a locally-led community action plan.
