RESIDENTS and shoppers are being invited to a public exhibition on the future of Grays Shopping Centre, taking place this coming Saturday.
The public exhibition is taking place on Saturday 8 July between 10:30am – 2:30pm, at Unit 18 in the West Mall (near ShoeZone & Costa). Members of the design team will be on hand to answer questions and receive feedback.
NewRiver has been consulting with members of the public, elected representatives, and local organisations on the future of Grays Shopping Centre since 2020.
The consultation has included presentations at community meetings, design workshops, public exhibitions, and drop-in events at the shopping centre.
The feedback received from the community has helped NewRiver to produce a proposal which will:
- Develop a new town centre and public square
- Provide an attractive setting for new shops, restaurants, leisure, and community spaces
- Create a vibrant and safe public realm to support a thriving evening economy
- Deliver much needed new homes in an accessible and sustainable urban location
- Introduce design-led, landscaped spaces for the whole community
NewRiver Director of Development Justin Thomas said:
“We have been developing these plans in close partnership with the community over the past three years, seeking feedback from residents, local groups, and charities on our plans to invest in the future of Grays. This weekend we will be sharing our proposals for a vibrant mixed-use development that will deliver new homes for Thurrock and will create a welcoming, beautifully landscaped town square providing a safe and secure public realm, community spaces, and a thriving day to evening economy with new shops and restaurants.”
Following this public consultation event, NewRiver expect to submit an outline planning application in the autumn.
For those unable to attend the exhibition, the information will be available at www.futuregrays.com and feedback can also be sent to [email protected] or by writing to Freepost REDWOOD.
You can also check out our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FutureGrays/
I hope you have thought of designing out crime ie, good lighting, no hiding spaces for urination or drug use or supply. Safe and secure bike racks in a visible location covered by CCTV. Direct telephone access to police and ambulance at many strategic locations with emergency defibrillators covered by CCTV to ensure that public have a go to safe place in the event of crime or ill health. Graffiti proof wall surfaces, vandal proof seating and tree cover to provide shade and lower ambient temperature. Free water filling stations at the safe place locations. Consider rainwater harvesting for trees and flowerbuts. Provide more than adequate litter bins regularly emptied, be dog walker friendly. Encourage birds but not pidgions,
By-laws including do not feed the pidgeons. And the sale and use of chewing gum which ruins the floor surface and is an unnecessary expense to clean and will ruin the ambience immediately. Provide 24 hour security patrols with radio access to police. Design out rough sleepers and drinkers and security to work closely with the council and NHS to help these people. You can bet your bottom dollar that if this is a nice place for your intended users it will also attract the unintended.