News

Grays residents will be able to help bring their great ideas for improving the town to life thanks to Thurrock Council’s Communities in Action programme.

Communities in Action is now expanding to Grays following a successful pilot in Chadwell St Mary, which saw improvements to the community garden at Chadwell Library, a new seating area in Orsett Heath alongside new play facilities for children and young people, and partners working together to better support and promote local activities.

Construction is underway on six modern council homes on a disused garage site, providing much needed homes for local people.

The development in Lyndhurst Road, Stanford-Le-Hope, carried out by contractor Auburn Group, will provide six council homes, with private gardens and green space for everyone to enjoy.

Local politicians have responded following the fire which destroyed the World’s End pub in Tilbury yesterday.

Cllr Russell Cherry, Cabinet Member for Veterans, Enforcement and Environment, said: “Thurrock has an incredible heritage and the World’s End is an important part of that, so I was terribly sorry to learn of the fire which has all but destroyed it.

“Only last week we launched the borough’s heritage trails, with the World’s End being one of the sites that people could see. It is a clear and tangible connection to Tilbury’s rich naval history. 

A free six-week physical activity game has kicked off, with over 2,000 residents already registered to play on the first day.

Beat the Street East Thurrock is taking place until Wednesday 4 November across East Tilbury, Stanford-le-Hope, Horndon on the Hill, and Corringham.

Residents are being encouraged to rediscover Thurrock Museum and the thousands of objects telling the story of the borough, as work continues to preserve its collection and bring Thurrock’s history to life for future generations. 

Thurrock Council would like to thank the British Divers Marine Life Rescue volunteers and the Port of London Authority, whose combined efforts meant that nearly all of a pod of around 25 pilot whales that swam into the Thames near Tilbury made it safely back out to sea. 

Both organisations worked together to ‘herd’ the pod of whales back out to their natural habitat after they swam into the Thames Estuary, putting themselves in real danger of becoming stranded on the shore. 

Residents’ views are already helping Thurrock Council take tougher action against illegal tobacco and vape sales – with targeted enforcement in Grays the first of further activity planned across the borough.

Cllr Russell Cherry has taken on a new portfolio in Thurrock Council’s Cabinet, joining administration colleagues as Cabinet Member for Veterans, Enforcement and Environment.

Cllr Richard Bingley, Leader of Thurrock Council, said: “This new role will help to provide a greater focus on some key areas of work that we know are important to residents.

Thurrock residents who smoke are being encouraged to make a quit attempt this October and take advantage of free support available to help them quit for good.

Stoptober is back, encouraging millions of people across England to come together and give quitting smoking a go.