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To confirm the area
of the Clacton Town Board and thereby the Government Plan for
Neighbourhoods area for Clacton shall be the area set out in the
attachment and to authorise this being communicated to the Ministry
of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) by the
deadline set by MHCLG of 4 July 2025.

Reasons for the decision

The Clacton Town
Board, under the previously titled ‘Long Term Plan for
Towns’ had agreed (on 24 May 2024, Minute 16(a) refers) to
its area/boundaries being those set out in the attachment to this
decision.  Upon the programme being
restyled “Plan for Neighbourhoods’ the Board was
requested to again identify its boundary/area. 
 
This was considered
at the  Board  meeting on 20 March 2025 (Minute 59 refers) and it
was agreed that it was sensible to expand the area of the Board to
encapsulate growth areas for Clacton including the mixed use
development areas identified in the Local Plan to 2033 of Hartley
Gardens, Rouses Farm and Cooks Green Farm (north of the Clacton
Shopping Village).  The rationale for
the change was that, in the lifetime of the ultimate Regeneration
Plan for Clacton, these areas would be developed out and would be
integral parts of the town.  The changed
emphasis of the Government programme meant this felt a better fit
also.  Government was advised of the
requested change in area/boundary by the 26 April
deadline. 
 
On Friday 27 June
Government Officials advised that the boundary change had
NOT been approved.  Government
officials then gave the Board until 4 July 2025, to confirm the
original boundary and that the speedy payment of the next element
of the Capacity Funding (which has already been reported to the
Board and intended spending allocations considered), was dependent
upon this. 

Alternative options considered

Consideration was
given to pursuing the wishes of the Board, as expressed on 20 March
2025, to expand the area of the Board to the areas referred to in
the reasons for decision section. 
However, this was discounted on the basis that this revision to the
boundary may be possible at some point over the next few years and
dialogue with MHCLG officials could identify the basis for the
expanded area being rejected.  This
could inform a future proposal. 
 
Not complying with
the deadline of 4 July 2025 to confirm the boundary originally
adopted (under the Long-Term Plan for Towns programme) was also
considered and discounted in view of the impact on the capacity
funding provision.