Today marks 100 days since our new political Administration took responsibility for Thurrock Council.
On our first day, we raised the Thurrock Coat of Arms at the Civic Offices. It was a simple act, but it represented something bigger: restoring pride in Thurrock, appreciation of our riverside environment as well as putting our borough and its residents first.
One hundred days later, that principle continues to guide us.
We inherited a Council recovering from extraordinary financial trauma. There are no quick fixes. Our approach is therefore one of long-term financial responsibility: reducing costs, delivering approximately £13 million of savings through each year, continuing the long task of putting Thurrock's finances onto a sustainable footing.
Government has recognised the progress being made and the Council has been able to appoint its own experienced new Chief Executive. That is an important milestone in Thurrock taking greater responsibility for its own future.
But recovery cannot simply be about spreadsheets, committee work and government reports.
Residents deserve to see and feel improvements in the places where they live. That is why Civic Pride has become one of our defining priorities.
We've delivered clear and gradual improvements in areas such as expanding local library hours (East Tilbury), building a children's play area (Tilbury), improving a bus route (Chafford-Stifford-Orsett), to cite just a fraction, and actively reached out to businesses and community groups to provide practical additional help in clearing footpaths, parks and back alleys.
Our Civic Pride Task Force is systematically mapping the borough and coordinating the cleaning and greening of parks, footpaths, sports pitches and the areas around public buildings.
Cemeteries, war memorials and neglected public spaces are receiving renewed and prioritised attention.
We are determined to recover the public realm and regenerate town centres which have looked tired for too long.
We have reactivated the Thameside complex, our iconic local cultural centre, begun smartening it up and launched a renewed marketing and events programme for our popular local Theatre.
We have also strengthened enforcement in Grays through enhanced public space protection measures and want to see appropriate action extended elsewhere.
At the same time, we are looking beyond the Council itself.
We have opened a business panel with SMEs to meet with me quarterly at the Council. Some SMEs have already begun sharing initiatives around funding, training and office sharing.
We are convening a Board for Thurrock's biggest businesses to work with us in a coordinated way to carry out several set-piece big projects across Thurrock.
For too long, many well-intentioned councillors, community groups and businesses have worked independently or in small silos.
Our estuary borough has enormous potential to become much more attractive urban and rural areas, and a much deeper and more diverse cultural scene, if all of these influential and well-meaning participants join together.
With anything between 17,000 to 25,000 jobs arriving here during the next decade or so, Thurrock has enormous economic potential, and we want businesses benefiting from our strategic location to become partners in improving the borough.
That includes ambitious public-realm projects such as improving the Thames coast path between Coalhouse Fort and Grays and introducing a heritage trail connecting the stomping grounds of Alfred Wallace, Joseph Conrad, Daniel Defoe, Bram Stoker and the first Queen Elizabeth.
We have also opposed Local Government Reorganisation because, despite Thurrock's recent difficulties, we believe passionately in our borough's identity and its ability to determine its own future.
Nonetheless, if the merger with Basildon Council is forced upon us, we will work together well to deliver the best possible services for all residents of the proposed South West Essex unitary council.
None of this progress has been achieved by the Administration alone.
I want to thank councillors across the Council, our new and existing officers, frontline staff, businesses, voluntary organisations and the many community groups and residents who give their time to Thurrock.
The progress of these first 100 days belongs to everyone who has rolled up their sleeves and helped.
There remains a huge amount to do. Some improvements will take months; the biggest changes will take years. We should neither underestimate the challenges nor lower our ambitions because of them.
Our first 100 days have been about reset: financial responsibility, Civic Pride, stronger communities and renewed ambition.
The next stage is about building upon it and improving our the quality of life and lifestyle for our residents.
Together, we can make Thurrock much cleaner, greener, safer and more prosperous — and ultimately make Thurrock the proudest estuary borough in Britain.