Taking Thurrock forward into a bright future is coming a step closer as the council’s strategic planning Core Strategy is put before the Planning Inspectorate.
Cllr Andy Smith, the council’s portfolio holder for regeneration, speaking before the “Examination in Public” started on Monday (14 March) at the Thurrock Hotel, said: “This is a very important time in the quest to improve Thurrock.
“We have seen the benefits of regeneration in other places across the country and we believe now is the time to ensure that Thurrock makes its mark as a place that is lively, progressive and good to live and work in.”
He said the Strategy not only “proposes significant growth in housing”, but also includes new jobs and “provides the platform for new investment in infrastructure, all of which will create the conditions for the improvement in the quality of life for the people of Thurrock”.
Cllr Smith acknowledged that delays in getting the Strategy process completed had been frustrating, but added: “We are ready to implement it. We want to get on with delivering jobs and homes.
“Because of that strong desire, we will strengthen and improve our ability to deliver growth and we will maintain our commitment to achieve the regeneration that our investors, partners, businesses and residents deserve.”
He went on: “We have the support and confidence of our regeneration partners who are all ready to make considerable levels of investment across the borough — they are ready to invest as soon as the Strategy is approved.
“We have every confidence that this support will continue because the council has been consistent in its approach.
“The council has worked hard to produce this Strategy which marks the beginning of the regeneration of Thurrock.”
Why does regeneration always mean loads of new housing? How is it improving Thurrock by building hundreds (if not thousands) of homes in an already over crowded borough? You notice that we the residents come last in the list of who will benefit from regeneration, a freudian slip perhaps? There are lots of things that Thurrock needs before even one single new house is built; new roads, doctors, hospital etc. But business is not interested in things to improve the lives of people that already live here, only in making healthy profits by moving even more people in. Regeneration is the name of the game but i can only see deterioration for the quality of life in Thurrock. Time will tell.
So there are developers with large pots of cash ready to splash it on Thurrock creating thousands of jobs and thousand of homes, new schools, new doctors surgeries, dentists, new roads etc etc etc…
…over the next 15 years.
We have had this talk on regeneration for nearly 10 years and all we appear to have got is thousands of homes.
This interview was five minutes of hot air and spin.
The borough needs new and improved schools, more GPs and dentists better roads, more police on the beat, playgrounds with play equipment.
We don’t need nearly twenty thousand extra houses and tens and tens of thousands of extra residents.
Regeneration should mean improving the lot of the people already here – not providing housing for London’s surplus population with no local improvements.
Houses / Flats / Houses. No parks or GP surgeries or Community Hubs. Forum has fought hard battles in Little Thurrock over Section 106 monies and there are grave concerns that in these poor economic times developers may have to make even less contributions then today’s thin air! Both gray64 and Dave P are right to be concerned. Thurrock People deserve better.
Will this regeneration programme, help all the residents in an area close to the M25, and a lorrie site and light industrial area, in the Belhus area along the Stifford Road, I refer to the Howard Tenens Site, which as been expanded so that, it can take fifty lorries belonging to Eddie Stobart which leave the yard on a 24/7 basis, we suffer from Noise and Air pollution on a daily basis, we are told that South Ockendon needs this yard, because they have built houses on the old industrial areas off Arisdale Road and alongside the busy C2C railway lines, so the residents who live along the Stifford Road have to continue to suffer daily with no let up, thats what you call suffering for regeneration, so that you can house the Stratford and Hackney surplus population, who in some cases agreed to leave with a large cash payments, what do we get in the Thurrock areas, nothing but, more BLOODY NOISE AND AIR POLLUTION, for years to come, so that somebody in the town hall gets a pat on the back, thats what regeneration means my friends, so get use to it..