Clacton life expectancy 18 years lower than wealthier Essex areas - council chief

People living in some parts of Clacton have a life expectancy 18 years lower than in wealthier areas of Essex, a council chief has said.

A new report commissioned by the government calls for improved job opportunities to boost health.

Levelling Up funds of £36.7m have been invested in Tendring to achieve this since 2021.

Tendring District Council chief Ian Davidson said initiatives had already made a "real difference" in the area.

The Turning the Tide report, which was presented in Clacton, details that coastal communities like Tendring have higher rates of medical conditions including heart disease, cancer, respiratory conditions and mental health conditions.

Mr Davidson said the authority was looking at supporting young people with mental health issues, improving job opportunities and creating "aspirations" for young people to go on to further education.

He said: "You will die 18 years younger in Clacton than in Saffron Walden, just the other side of Essex county. So how do we change that?

"For the first time ever we're seeing the health index change, it's improved by 4.7%, the all-England improvement has only improved 0.8% and areas around us have declined.

"So the work which we are putting in with our partners.. we've made a real difference to the lives of people in Tendring."

Since 2021 a project, through Levelling Up funding, has been in place to improve health deprivation through employment, resulting in a 4.7% change.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Chris Witty authored the Coastal Communities report in 2021, calling for a national strategy to tackle poor health and lower life expectancies in seaside towns.

Speaking at the event in Clacton, he said: "There's far more in common with the majority of coastal towns than there is with their nearest inland neighbour.

"What many coastal communities have in common is they had a single-demand industry and when the industry was going well they did very well. And when that industry declined, with it went the rest of the community around it."

He also said housing in coastal communities was from "a different era" and had been repurposed in a way that often had negative health impacts.

The report called for health and employment sectors to take action while waiting for a central strategy for coastal communities.

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