THURROCK Council Leader Cllr John Kent has welcomed the news that the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) has submitted its plans for £1.2 billion government funding by 2021.
Speaking on Monday (23 December), Cllr Kent said: “The scale of Thurrock’s thinking and proposals is highlighted in this region-wide bid. A group of local authorities from Essex – including Thurrock and Southend – Kent (including Medway) and East Sussex are bidding for £1.2 billion to open up an estimated £10 billion investment.
“Thurrock alone is expecting its part of this plan to bring see around £6 billion – nearly two-thirds – of that £10 billion invested here in our borough.
“We are looking for around £357m of government funding – matched by around £386m from us and our partners to secure Thurrock’s £6 billion.”
He said: “It is a testament to Thurrock that our regional partners are supporting our ambitious plans and understand how, by investing in our borough’s future, they are improving their own plans for growth.”
He explained: “As outlined in this month’s cabinet report our local development framework will create 26,000 new jobs and 18,500 new homes in Thurrock.
“This will support everything from the further development of the creative industries at High House Production Park to the growth of green technology and energy at Thames Enterprise Park, and increase Thurrock’s existing Business Support programme.”
Cllr Kent said that Thurrock’s part of the bid includes developing a Skills Academy for Transport and Logistics – along the same lines as the National Skills Academy for Creative and Cultural Skills at Purfleet – as well as building a post-16 network linked to innovative sectors locally and developing a package of targeted spending to get more local people into local employment.
In addition, the bid includes Thurrock’s list of necessary major transport improvements such as delivering the full solution for M25 Junction 30/31, widening the A13, and a series of measures to reduce the effect of level crossings in Thurrock.
He said: “It’s by no means all high level and nationally important schemes, although we will all benefit from those too. We’re looking at tackling local transport improvements around Lakeside, London Gateway, Grays and expanding our sustainable transport schemes like creating rapid bus routes and the cycling network.
“We’re seeking funding for upgrading the A1306, tackling Thurrock’s long-standing infrastructure deficits through the growth of our Thames-side Towns, kick-starting housing growth throughout the borough by using council assets or direct development; and offering support to private landowners to secure the delivery of much needed housing on the stalled housing sites around the borough.”
He said: “All in all, Thurrock has persuaded the Local Enterprise Partnership of the national importance of its future plans, now we and our partners across the South East need to keep up the pressure on central government too.”
The Janus position of Cllr Kent. One minute moaning about Government cuts and the next talking about £1.2 billion of Government funding for Thurrock.
One thing Cllr Kent conveniently forgets to mentions when he talks about Government funding cuts is if you build 18,500 new homes is the absolutely massive amount of extra Council Tax revenue that will be received to fill council coffers.
Perhaps someone should ask him what the estimated extra revenue will be from 18,500 new homes and if this will more than plug any supposed cut from the Government.
18,500 homes would bring in a minimum of £16.5 million but perhaps as much as £22 million.
18,500 new homes would also bring in a massive amount of New Homes bonus – something Cllr Kent also conveniently forgets to mention.
I know the main parties don’t like to hear about immigration. Some members of the public however might want to question why there is a need for an additional 18,500 properties in Thurrock, an increase of 30% on Thurrock’s current housing stock. Some might want to question the effect of that on their quality of life. What about their children’s chances of a decent education or the chance of an affordable house.
It’s cobblers to suggest that mass immigration hasn’t affected all of this and the main parties know it. UKIP has a simple message on this that a very large number of people will agree with.
Their message on Europe is equally as simple. They don’t want to be part of the EU and they don’t want the EU to tell this country how it should be run. Our politicians are impotent puppets at the moment. They can do nothing without the EU telling them the exact opposite.
If UKIP can explain to people just exactly how these two issues have really affected their lives, they will gain seats within the council and the European parliament.
No doubt we’ll have the arguments that leaving the EU will cost 10 million jobs. Funny how nobody can expalin where those jobs will be lost. My bet is that companies wanting to leave the UK if we decided to leave Europe would soon be replaced by companies from India and China ready and willing to exploit the oportunities vacated by those reliant on EU subsidies to survive.
alf garnet has spoken.
rocket1, yes Alf Garnet may have spoken but what he says is what the majority of the people are thinking rather than having their heads stuck in the sand like Cameron,Clegg & Milliband, none of the mainstream political parties have done or said anything to appease the public on their Immigration policies or the EU.
ConDem continue to play the “it was them not us” card and Labour continue sticking their fingers in their ears and pretending not to hear or know anything that happened on their watch.
These Champagne Socialists like Milliband don’t care about the working man, Labour have lost their focus and are too snuggled up with the daft unions, and as for the Public School Toffs of the ConDem they don’t give a stuff as long as their own are Ok.
It is about time that the people of this country started to push these clown out of office and replace them with leaders who know what it is like for the working class.
You should take your witty banter on tour rocket1. I’m sure it will make killer material in countries showing re-runs of til death us do part, You should try North Korea for a start. Obviously your name is no reflection on your cognitive abilites. Keep up the good fight little socialist.
You must have been performing all sorts of contortions rocket1. You even get preferential treatment on your insults now.
calm down alf,you will give yourself a seizure.
rocket1 you follow my comments round this site like a jealous ex girlfriend out for revenge. I’m not the one heading for a seizure. I would suggest you’re heading for a breakdown though. It’s the only rational explanation for your irrational behaviour towards my comments.
The world and his wife knows socialists don’t like hearing the truth but, you should learn to deal with it in a more constructive way instead of acting like a creepy internet stalker with a fixation on Alf Garnet fantasies. Please don’t tell me you imagine me with a small moustache and a trilby.
You calling me Alf Garnet all the time is akin to being harrassed by the nutter on the bus. Hopefully you’ll get bored and go away. Very creepy.
you was up early alf,i’m glad you are keeping yourself busy,takes your mind off of things.