I chaired my second Cabinet meeting as Leader this week, and made a number of statements and announcements:
I paid tribute to Ann Widdecombe, whose passing will be felt by many. Ann was an independent thinker, a principled public servant and someone who made a significant contribution to British political and cultural life. She spoke her mind, challenged governments of all colours and remained true to her convictions throughout her career. Our thoughts remain with her family and friends.
I spoke about the formation of the Civic Pride Recovery Task Force, which will begin work in September. Across our borough there is much to celebrate, but there is also a clear need to improve the condition and presentation of many of our public spaces. Residents should be able to enjoy our woodlands, footpaths, parks and open spaces safely and with pride. Too often, overgrowth, neglect and poor maintenance have become barriers to enjoying the places we all value. Through a coordinated partnership approach, we will tackle these issues head on. Yard by yard and street by street, we will work to restore civic pride across our towns and villages.
I also reaffirmed our commitment to delivering a new Thurrock Local Plan. The absence of an up-to-date plan has left the borough at a disadvantage for too long. A modern local plan is essential if we are to protect our green spaces while also ensuring that housing, infrastructure and community facilities are provided in the right places. It will help us attract investment, support jobs and provide certainty for residents and businesses alike.
Culture and community remain central to our ambitions. I was pleased to highlight the continuing success of the Thameside Theatre, together with its excellent library and museum facilities. These are valuable assets that enrich borough life, and I encourage everyone to support the exciting programme of events taking place there in the months ahead.
Business engagement is another area where we can do more. We will shortly launch an SME Business Panel and a Strategic Business Investment Group, creating new opportunities for local employers and investors to work directly with the council. Businesses consistently tell me they want to contribute more to the Civic Pride Recovery Programme and to life in Thurrock more generally, and these new forums will provide proactive ways of understanding what local businesses want to do and how they wish to work with us.
Finally, I attended two recent events that demonstrated the very best of our borough: the Infant Summer Music Festival, which showcased the remarkable talents of our young people, and the Srebrenica Memorial commemoration at Grays Town Park, where we came together to remember 8,372 individuals murdered during the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia in 1995 and honour the families who have since made Thurrock their home and become valued members of our community. We also place on record our thanks to all hospital staff and volunteers who, both at the time and in the years that followed, provided medical and emotional support to the survivors of Srebrenica and their families.
Thurrock has tremendous potential, and by working together we can build a borough that is cleaner, prouder, more prosperous and more hopeful for the generations to come.
