Sunspot

Tendring, Eastern

Special Award for Community Impact & Engagement

Presented to an exemplary project that has demonstrated how successful community engagement can help deliver the highest standards of design whilst meeting the needs of local people.

Sunspot is an exemplary demonstration of how meaningful community engagement, allied to thoughtful and pragmatic design, can deliver lasting social and economic impact. Located in Jaywick Sands, one of England’s most deprived communities, the project responds with sensitivity and ambition to a place shaped by resilience, self-reliance and long-standing neglect. Rather than imposing an external vision, Sunspot emerged directly from listening to local people and understanding the structural challenges they face.

Jaywick Sands is a rare surviving plotlands settlement, retaining its self-built character despite decades of underinvestment, historic flooding and the withdrawal of basic services. Isolation, low car ownership and a lack of local employment have compounded deprivation, while access to affordable food, healthcare and everyday amenities has remained limited. Through the development of a Place Plan for Jaywick Sands, residents consistently identified employment and basic services as critical priorities, reinforced by health professionals who noted the positive link between employment and wellbeing.

In response, a demand and feasibility study was undertaken to test whether business space could succeed locally. Crucially, this research engaged directly with potential tenants rather than relying on conventional commercial assumptions. The findings overturned negative perceptions, confirming demand for affordable workspace and shaping a robust business model that combines small business units with a covered market hall, café and community facilities.

Every aspect of Sunspot was designed to maximise community benefit. The project delivers 24 affordable business units alongside public toilets, a café and flexible event space, addressing long-standing gaps in local provision. A wide, accessible pavement now runs along the seafront edge, with the bus stop relocated onto the site to provide shelter, seating and safer access. A community garden, shaped through consultation, offers a biodiverse and sensory outdoor space protected from wind and exposed conditions.

Since opening in September 2023, Sunspot’s impact has been immediate and sustained. Fully let within months, it supports a diverse mix of businesses including food producers, artists, healthcare providers, manufacturers and retailers, with some tenants already expanding into larger units on site. The market hall and surrounding public space host a rich programme of events, from live music and theatre to skills training and community celebrations, reinforcing Sunspot’s role as a civic heart.

Beyond its boundaries, Sunspot has catalysed wider regeneration, inspiring investment in nearby shopfronts and reframing Jaywick Sands as a place of opportunity and pride.