Category: Blog

Harwich’s iconic Treadwheel Crane has been removed from Historic England’s Risk Register following completion of vital restoration works.

Historic England has published its annual Heritage at Risk Register for 2022. The Register is a yearly health-check of England’s most valued historic places and lists those most at risk of being lost.

Restoration works on the Grade ll* listed Treadwheel Crane, a unique building in Historic Harwich, began earlier this year which included works to the structure – such as repairing a ground slab causing subsidence – as well as restoration to the roof, timber frame, and the crane itself.

A grant of more than £140,000 was awarded to Tendring District Council (TDC) to fund the restoration through Historic England’s Heritage Stimulus Fund. TDC, which owns the crane, has funded the remaining 25% of the repair cost – almost £47,000.

An experimental but traditional technique using tar and sail cloth, rather than paint and other materials, was used to weatherproof the conical roof; which is one of the reasons Historic England supported the grant bid.

Carlo Guglielmi, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Corporate Finance & Governance, said it was important to protect the area’s heritage.

“I am delighted that this iconic and historic building has been removed from the Risk Register. It is testimony to the hard work and devotion put in by all members and partners involved in the restoration project, saving the Treadwheel Crane,” Councillor Guglielmi said.

To find out more about Historic Harwich visit www.historicharwich.co.uk or for further details about the Treadwheel Crane go to the Harwich Society website at www.harwich-society.co.uk

A sparkling awards ceremony held on Friday (14 October) celebrated business success and marked the end of the TENDRING4GROWTH Business Fortnight.

Held in the Princes Theatre, the event recognised achievements by Tendring firms and included entertainment from local performers Abbie Hartley, Jamie Timms and the Princes Youth Theatre.

The event was sponsored by a number of organisations, including neoncloud, Colbea, Galloper and Backing Essex Business, and offered an opportunity for networking too.

Award categories reflected the themes of the events held during the preceding TENDRING4GROWTH Business Fortnight, such as Women in Business, environmental sustainability and support for the military covenant.

Mary Newton, Cabinet Member for Business and Economic Growth at Tendring District Council (TDC), said she had been inspired by those at the event.

“There is always a risk that we focus too much on doom and gloom, and the TENDRING4GROWTH Awards shone a light on the amazing businesses and success stories we have in our district, which we should all be proud of and appreciate their contribution to our economy,” Councillor Newton said.

“With more than 200 nominations across the categories the judging panel had a really tough time choosing those who could be recognised on the night, and this shows what strength in depth we have across Tendring.

“My congratulations go to the winners, runners-up and all those commended, and I also give my thanks to our awards sponsors and all of the speakers at our events during the Business Fortnight – which has been such a brilliant initiative.”

To find out more about the support TDC offers to businesses, and sign-up to a business e-bulletin, visit www.tendringdc.gov.uk/business.

TENDRING4GROWTH Business Fortnight, run by Tendring District Council (TDC), includes seminars, networking events and an awards evening all to champion different sectors and fantastic hidden businesses from across the area.

Nine free events are taking place across 11 days; full details can be found at www.tendringdc.gov.uk/business, and attendees are asked to book in advance to help manage numbers, but people can turn up on the day. Some events can be joined virtually.

Mary Newton, TDC Cabinet Member for Business and Economic Growth, said she was looking forward to meeting local firms, celebrating success and encouraging new business relationships.

“Businesses big and small play a vital role in Tendring’s local economy, whether they are a seafront kiosk to a large manufacturing firm, a busy farm or servicing off-shore wind turbines,” Councillor Newton said.

“Our TENDRING4GROWTH fortnight celebrates all of that, with our themed events exploring different topics such as carbon reduction, the benefits of hiring ex-military personnel, and some of the key sectors we have in the district.”

The TENDRING4GROWTH Business Fortnight begins on Monday (3 October) with a breakfast event, Tendring Means Business, with keynote speakers Paul Milsom from Milsom Hotels, Allistair Hunter from DS Group, and Tom West from RentMy.

This is followed on Tuesday, 4 October with an event around the Tourism, Cultural and Creative sectors – with speakers including Hayley Armstrong and Joely Ellis from Creative UK – while on Wednesday (5 October) there is a seminar on being part of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, which TDC has achieved a Gold Award for this summer.

The ever-popular skills fair returns to the Princes Theatre on Thursday, 6 October, with residents invited to have a go at various jobs and careers within key sectors across Tendring.

Week two launches with a Women in Business event on Monday, 10 October, where a panel of six guest speakers will outline their experiences and advice for people looking to follow in their path.

Tuesday, 11 October sees a workshop on Reducing Your Footprint to help local firms become green, with speakers including John Hall from Practical Actions for Climate and Environment (PACE) Manningtree and Lyn Mowforth from Essex Climate Action Commission.

Wednesday, 12 October looks at the opportunities within the green energy sector and from Freeport East, while farming and agriculture businesses can attend a drop-in Field to Fork event to meet a number of advisors from Defra, the NFU and others.

The fortnight ends with an invite-only celebration event including an awards ceremony, being held at the Princes Theatre.

Councillor Newton added: “These events are free, and there is something for everyone – so I’d encourage you to sign up now.”

https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/tendring4growth-business-fortnight-679829 

Beach toy libraries can currently be found in various locations along the seafront at Clacton, Holland, Walton-on-the-Naze, Manningtree, Brightlingsea and Dovercourt.

Families looking to enjoy the Essex Sunshine Coast this season can benefit from a series of free Beach Toy libraries.
Run by a number of different community groups around the district, the sites contain fun items such as buckets and spades for people to use, then return to the Toy library box at the end of the day for others to use and enjoy.

As well as ensuring the toys are not just used once, making them more environmentally friendly, they can also be useful for families on low incomes.

Visitors to our lovely beaches who do buy new beach toys but are not likely to use them again for a while are encouraged to donate them at the end of their stay to the Toy libraries. Please please please don’t leave beach toys alone on the beach, either take away with you or leave in the Beach Toy Library for a new little set of hands to play with.

Whilst we do not encourage the use of inflatables in the sea if you do happen to have or find one that is broken – please place in or next to the Beach toy library as these will be collected and passed to Planet Rubber for upcycling. Please help to protect our seas and keep our beaches clean.

Anyone interested in setting up a new library can email seafronts@tendringdc.gov.uk to explore options.

The latest version of Tendring’s events app has been released for smartphone users to download.

LoveTendring, which showcases what’s on, places to go and other visitor information, is free to download on both Apple and Android devices.

Developed in-house by Tendring District Council (TDC), the app has recently been refreshed and now has a new-look home page, a featured event section, and also pulls through daily events submitted through the council’s website.

Users who already have the app will see it automatically updated, while those new to LoveTendring are encouraged to download it now.

Alex Porter, TDC Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, said with the summer season approaching now was the ideal time to get the app on your phone or tablet.

“With every update the LoveTendring app becomes even better, whether it’s the busy beaches facility – showing you in the summer live data from our Tendring Beach Patrol team – or the regularly refreshed what’s on section,” Councillor Porter said.

“The new feature page is also a great one-stop-shop for all the information you need about our next major event.

“I am pleased that we are continuing to develop the app – looking at new features and useful additions – so we can look forward to even more updates in the future.”

To submit an event for inclusion on the app visit TDC’s website what’s on listing.

The armed forces, veterans, blue light services and Tendring residents are invited to stand side-by-side at a special event.

Tendring Veterans and Services day, an event organised by Tendring District Council is to take place at the Greensward, Clacton on Sunday, 7 August, from 11am until 5pm and everyone is invited.

The event will see local veteran groups, the armed and blue light services, the coastguard and supporting charities showcasing what they do with a host of stalls and attractions.

The event will commence with a short service, held at the Clacton War Memorial at 11am followed by a parade towards the Greensward.

Emergency response vehicles will be on site too for some photo opportunities.

TDC Chairman Peter Harris, who had the idea for the event, encouraged people to come along

“Being the son of a former Royal Marine I have the greatest respect for our armed forces and services personnel, and that is why I have chosen veterans’ charities and the RNLI as my charities to support this year.” Councillor Harris said

“This is a free to attend event, with all money raised going to local veterans charities and the RNLI; so I highly encourage people to come and show your appreciation to our veterans and services; we owe them so much for what they do for us.”

A series of business events are being held by Tendring District Council (TDC) this Autumn.

The TENDRING4GROWTH Business Fortnight will see seminars, networking events and a skills fair take place to champion different sectors and fantastic hidden businesses from across the district.

In total nine events will be held across 11 days in October, with full details available at www.tendringdc.gov.uk/business. Events are free, but attendees are asked to book in advance; while some events can be joined virtually.

Mary Newton, TDC Cabinet Member for Business and Economic Growth, said there was an event for every business to come along to.

“Businesses are the life-blood of our local economy, and we are fortunate to have such a variety of sectors operating in Tendring – from tourism to manufacturing, and farming to energy generation,” Councillor Newton said.

“That is why we are holding this fortnight, covering a vast range of topics, to not only take a moment to celebrate what is good, but also look at how we can work together to grow our economy.”

TENDRING4GROWTH’S Business Fortnight launches on Monday, 3 October with a breakfast event, Tendring Means Business, with keynote speakers Paul Milsom from Milsom Hotels, Allistair Hunter from DS Group, and Tom West from RentMy.

This is followed the next day with an event around the Tourism, Cultural and Creative sectors, and on Wednesday with a seminar on being part of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme – which TDC has just achieved a Gold Award in.

The ever-popular skills fair returns to the Princes Theatre on Thursday, 6 October, with residents invited to try their hand at various jobs and careers within key sectors across Tendring.

Week two begins with a Women in Business event, followed by a workshop on Reducing Your Carbon Footprint to encourage local firms to get green. There are also events on green energy and Freeport East, a Field to Fork drop-in for businesses, while the fortnight ends with an invite-only celebration event.

Further details on each event will be released in the coming weeks.

Councillor Newton added: “I hope that we see plenty of people sign up for these events, which are really not to be missed.”

Tendring District Council Beach Patrol members with Councillor Alex Porter holding a Blue Flag at Dovercourt Bay
Six beaches in Tendring have been handed prestigious awards by Keep Britain Tidy – including two of the top Blue Flags.

Beaches at Brightlingsea, Dovercourt Bay, Harwich, Frinton, Walton-on-the-Naze, and Martello Bay in Clacton have all been given Seaside Awards in recognition of their quality.

In addition the beaches at Dovercourt Bay and Brightlingsea kept their prestigious Blue Flag status.

Walton’s Albion Beach, which previously held a Blue Flag award, was not entered this year as coastal works have led to a temporary drop in water quality from ‘excellent’ to ‘good’ – but Tendring District Council (TDC) plans to re-enter the beach next year once works are completed. All other Tendring seafronts have kept their accreditation from 2021.

Seaside Award beaches have amenities at a high standard where they are provided, and a Blue Flag is an even higher globally recognised accreditation for quality beaches, taking into account factors such as water quality and availability of nearby facilities.

Alex Porter, TDC Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, said the awards recognised the beauty and quality of seafronts around the district.

“Our Essex Sunshine Coast around Tendring is beautiful and a fabulous place for residents, visitors and the whole tourism industry,” Councillor Porter said.

“This is why we invest so much of our time, effort and indeed money into them, ranging from our Beach Patrol service in the high season, regular upgrades to seafronts, or creating and protecting them with new beaches and cliff stabilisation works.

“Having Blue Flag and Seaside Awards are a great advert for the Essex Sunshine Coast, and as always it must be recognised that it is not easy to keep this status; that is why we decided not to enter Walton this year, but will look to do so – and a new beach in Clacton – next year should the conditions allow.”

Keep Britain Tidy’s Chief Executive Allison Ogden-Newton OBE said: “The success of these beaches in reaching the very high standards demanded is testament to all those who have worked so hard to protect and improve our blue spaces – from beach managers and volunteers to local residents and businesses. The huge commitment needed to maintain marvellous beaches worthy of these awards cannot be underestimated.

“People who visit a beach flying a Blue Flag or Seaside Award can be assured the beach will be clean, safe and meet the highest environmental standards, as well as international bathing water quality standards.”