Dear residents,
I’m delighted to introduce myself as the new Leader of Thurrock Council, Cllr Richard Bingley.
The elections brought a lot of political change in Thurrock, and it’s a real honour to have been chosen to represent residents in my ward, and to lead the council, with the support of my new Cabinet colleagues.
We are clear on what you need from us - a reset. What we have all experienced in the last few years in Thurrock, is not just a financial crisis. It is a crisis of identity, pride, and responsibility. For too long Thurrock residents have paid the price for decisions outside their control.
I know many of you feel that Thurrock has been ignored, or not benefitted from the investment that other parts of the region enjoy. This is particularly frustrating when we have so much industry and big business in our borough. It’s time to change that and make sure that investment and development work for our communities. That means expecting more from businesses, whether that’s supporting our public spaces, helping to maintain heritage sites or contributing to the wider wellbeing of Thurrock.
We are not starting from scratch. This week I visited the site of the new Youth Zone that is part-funded by big business, and will open next year in Tilbury, giving our borough’s young people access to an amazing range of positive activities from sport to drama.
I want to focus on what matters to local people. From talking to you, I don’t think reorganising the council and merging with Basildon is on the list. This week, I wrote to the Government to ask them to reconsider their plans, and let us focus on improving Thurrock.
There is a huge amount to build on. From our historic riverside communities to our towns and villages, we have something unique. We may not be the wealthiest borough, but we have a rich heritage, a strong sense of community and a proud place along the Thames Estuary. My ambition is to build on that and make Thurrock the proudest estuary borough in Britain.
Restoring civic pride in Thurrock is my number one priority. This means different things to different people, but can be seen in the actions we are already taking such as flying the Thurrock flag alongside the St George flag and the Union Flag, and drawing up plans to take better care of our roads and parks. You will see cleaner streets, better maintained green spaces and quicker action on issues like fly-tipping, graffiti and abandoned vehicles. We want every part of Thurrock to feel welcoming, looked after and a place to be proud of.
On a sad but important note, I wanted to end my update by remembering Henry Nowak, a local young man who has been in the news again this week due to the horrendous circumstances surrounding his tragic death in Southampton late last year. Many of you know Henry’s family, and will I’m sure have shared in their pain at his terrible loss. On behalf of the whole council I want to send my condolences to everyone who knew and loved Henry.
Best wishes,
Cllr Richard Bingley
Leader of Thurrock Council