COUNCILLORS were given a glimmer of hope over the stalled £1billion regeneration scheme reports the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
The scheme was scuppered after Homes England decided to withdraw £75million funding over delays to the scheme.
Thurrock Council’s planning, transport and regeneration overview and scrutiny committee heard there had been strong interest from the English Cities Fund.
Speaking at the meeting, Lee Watson, Labour councillor for West Thurrock and South Stifford, said
“It’s a bitter pill for the residents of Purfleet on Thames. Why I’m so disappointed is that the scheme was designed by the residents. They were promised how the station would look, how the river front would look, and the shops that Purfleet lacks so badly.
“I’m grateful we are holding those other conversations with English Cities Fund to get them on board because it is the jewel in the crown. It is on the river front. We could get an Uber there. There is so much potential sitting there that it could regenerate the whole entire Purfleet on Thames.
The council voluntarily agreed to terminate the funding agreement to avoid having to pay back the £25million funding it has already spent.
Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited was to deliver more than 2,650 new homes around a new town centre, including a new primary school and integrated medical centre. To date, the council says it is probable that only 34 homes will be completed by the end December 2023.
It was planned to replace the existing station in Purfleet-on-Thames, Essex, with a new one, accessed by a footbridge.
A media and film village also once formed part of the scheme.
Committee chairman, Luke Spillman said: “I don’t think there has been a bigger open secret that this project is dead in the water for many years with the current partners. It’s just been an accepted truth that this isn’t going forward so it’s frustrating that we didn’t get to this point two or three years earlier than we have.
“We’ve got an over-ambitious plan to start with, then we had the financial impact from covid and inflation and we’ve got a partner who we cannot secure the funding required to take on a project of this size. I am reassured we’ve bought the land and presumably it’s worth more than we bought it for.
Wowza…my mum still lives in Purfleet and told me about this so had a look at the latest on the situation….what a disgrace.
I’ve just read that at the start of the month, Thurrock Council terminated the Direct Award with Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited (PCRL) – a joint venture between Sanctuary Housing and Urban Catalyst.
I can see why! So they dont have to pay back the money spent to date.
What a daft move to ditch PCRL and its team tho…yep, its taken them yonks but looked as though finally getting some momentum. Not easy with covid and constructuon inflation.
Now the Council gonna come back with new proposals next month .
Nooooooooooooooo. STOP.
Goodness, they will have to go through a full procurement exercise again…likely to be at least two to three years.
Rethink Thurrock Council! Its braver to rethink. Don’t mess this up even further than it is.
Essentially you are promoting setting this back so far by swapping horses you will never get this over the line.
Please learn
Hi Jacob, agree with you. Nice to see your passion.
Hope you don’t mind my comment to yiur comment.
I’ve been following this unravelling. I live in Purfleet too so can appreciate your concerns.
Thurrock terminating the Direct Award in the way they did basically means one big ol restart, but most likely the scheme is ‘dead in the water’ already. Sorry to say this.
Of course no one will admit this as we approach election season.
A large part of the overall funding was from Homes England. If Thurrock terminated the agreement they wouldn’t have to pay back £25m, already spent, so yes you’re right.
PCRL had huge issues in getting funding over a long period of time so Thurrock basically exited the situation.
That’s basically why they did it. They have massive debts.
My prediction is Thurrock will likely promote alternatives at some point. When these have been explored at length, at yet more cost and way in the future, the grand result will be nothing is delivered anytime soon.
You heard it here first!