News

Young people receiving support from Thurrock Council's Children's Services came together at Grangewaters Outdoor Education Centre on Thursday 30 July for a special 'Young Voices' event.

The event brought together a range of young people, particularly those receiving support through the Families First programme, as well as children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), for a day of activities and engagement.

Work is underway to create a nicer, cleaner, less cluttered and more welcoming entrance to the Thameside Complex.

Initial work has seen the entranceway tidied up by removing cluttered signage and advertisements, clearing and maintaining planted areas, and ensuring the building's lobby is clean and welcoming.

This is the first stage of wider improvements planned for the Thameside Complex to ensure residents have good access to the building and the services it houses, including the library, theatre and museum.

The coastal path running from Coalhouse Fort in East Tilbury to Grays has been revitalised and cleaned up, thanks to our contractors Henderson and Taylor. 

A team from the Tilbury based contractor cut back overgrown vegetation on and around the Right of Way and sprayed the road to reduce weeds returning.

The Thameside Theatre in Grays will be keeping residents and visitors entertained for at least another 20 months.

It means that the Thameside will remain a haven for arts, entertainment and music with shows being booked up to the end of March 2028.

Cllr George Monk, Cabinet Member for Deregulation, Efficiency and Civic Pride, said: “The Thameside Theatre is a vital local hub for arts and culture, so it is fantastic to know that its immediate future is secure and that it will be booking shows to keep everyone entertained until at least March 2028.

A renewed Public Space Protection Order will help make Grays safer by cracking down on anti-social behaviour, including street drinking, abusive language, harassment, spitting and other unacceptable behaviour.

The Grays Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) has been renewed for another three years. It gives the council enforcement officers the power to immediately move on people breaching the order and confiscate alcoholic drinks, nitrous oxide canisters and any other intoxicating substances being used in public.

When I became Leader of Thurrock Council, I made a commitment to restore civic pride across our borough.

For me, civic pride is about much more than how a place looks. It is about how people feel about where they live. It is about creating neighbourhoods that are well cared for, public spaces that are welcoming, and communities where people feel connected, valued and proud to call home.

Cllr Richard Bingley, Leader of Thurrock Council, has written to Jo White MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office, to request that local authorities receive funding for the financial support provided to families with No Recourse to Public Funds.

Last week, the High Court again dismissed a judicial review of the Council’s Selective Licensing Scheme and, after a hearing, ruled that the Council’s scheme was lawful. 

The claimant had sought an oral hearing to challenge the High Court’s previous written decision to dismiss the claim on 13 March 2026. The decision in March allowed the Council to start to implement the Scheme.

The court has also ordered the claimant to pay the Council £7,500 in costs, which can now be recovered and used to fund council services.