SKM Colin Buchanan has been commissioned to assist Thurrock Council with the preparation of its evidence base to support it proposed Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD) specifically in relation to Thurrock Lakeside.
The consultant team will be responsible for assessing the full range of infrastructure needs required to support the draft development options for the area, as well as undertaking a soft market assessment of the housing development options.
The Lakeside shopping centre and adjacent retail parks are, taken together, one of the largest single shopping areas in Europe.
Currently dominated by highways, retail and industrial units, the Council’s vision is to transform Lakeside into a new regional centre.
By 2026, Lakeside will incorporate a mix of land uses and community services. A sustainable community, including up to 3,000 new homes, will be designed and delivered.
Twenty interviews with key landowners and locally active residential developers are being undertaken to seek views on the feasibility of delivering the Council’s development objectives, the capability and capacity of the market to deliver the scale of change envisaged.
SKM Colin Buchanan, Project Director John Pounder said, “The creation of a new Regional Town Centre at Thurrock Lakeside is one of the most exciting regeneration opportunities in the Thames Gateway and we look forward to working with the Council to ensure that its policies and proposals are both viable and deliverable.”
