A bid has been launched for a slice of £675m in government funding to regenerate Maldon High Street.

The town centre has become central to Maldon District Council's "expression of interest" for a share of the government's Future High Streets Fund.

The council is only allowed to make one bid to improve a town centre in its district.

A spokesman said that "whilst Heybridge and Burnham-on-Crouch could both benefit from such a fund, Maldon has been chosen because of the strategy behind the adopted Maldon and Heybridge Central Area Masterplan".

They added: "Maldon Town Centre will be promoted as a market town that serves a wider rural catchment area.

"Proposals for retail, office, housing, community leisure uses, and other town centre uses will be supported where they contribute to regeneration and diversification of the centre.”

The council has made clear that a wide range of issues in the town centre require work.

Its expression of interest highlighted subject such as; Market Hill being declared an air quality management area, the lower High Street improving its offering of shops and increasing the visitor numbers to the town centre from outer areas and the new housing developments in the garden suburbs.

The plans also intend to make the area more accessible for disabled residents, cyclists and drivers by building a new park and ride and finding new uses for vacant spaces in the high street.

Pollution in Market Hill has been discussed a lot recently, with a study from the charity, Friends of the Earth stating the road contained the sixth highest concentration of nitrogen dioxide in the country.

Richard Holmes, director of service delivery at Maldon District Council, said; “The expression of interest is not a commitment for a specific direction or project – rather it is a pitch to government that Maldon town centre should be one of the towns included in the High Street Futures Fund programme.

“This opportunity has come at exactly the right time for us and fits well with our new corporate plan and supports the development of our thematic strategies of prosperity, place and community.

"This is clearly an opportunity not to miss out on, and if we get through to the next round we will need to develop these ideas further.”