News

Thurrock Council is continuing to help vulnerable households across the borough thanks to an additional £2.59million of UK Government funding for the Household Support Fund, which will be distributed throughout the 2023/24 financial year.

The funding will be used to provide essential support to households most in need, including:

The winner of the 13th Thurrock's Next Top Boss programme has been announced at a hybrid awards ceremony this afternoon (Thursday 23 March 2023).

This year 8 Thurrock schools responded to a business challenge set by c2c, to consider how c2c can increase community support with a £50,000 budget, along with a range of impacts.

Team 'C2Sanitary' from Grays Convent High School was announced as the winner, and team 'SIBJAMZ' from St Clere's School as runner-up.

Thurrock Enterprise Week arrives this June, offering 5 days of exciting engagement events, networking opportunities, panel discussions and more for local businesses.

Taking place from Monday 12 June to Friday 16 June 2023, the week will bring together businesses, experts and services to inspire entrepreneurship and promote growth by exploring a number of different themes. These will include how local businesses can strengthen and grow, assess carbon reduction options and access opportunities to access public sector contracts.

Dr Dave Smith arrived in Thurrock today to take up the role of Managing Director Commissioner of the council. The new appointment was announced last week by the government's Minister for Local Government and Building Safety. This is part of the expansion of the ongoing intervention at Thurrock Council led by a Commissioner team from Essex County Council.

Dave said: "Thurrock Council is facing some of the greatest challenges ever faced by a local authority, and the scale of the task ahead should not be underestimated.

Works continue to progress at a site in Loewen Road, Chadwell St Mary, which is being transformed into 4 affordable homes for Thurrock residents.

Thurrock Council appointed chartered building contractor, Marfleet and Blyth, in August 2022 to replace a single house with 4 new 3-bedroom homes, as it continues to help meet the affordable housing needs of the borough.

Demolition started in October last year. Works completed to date include the foundations and groundworks and installation of fencing to the rear boundary.

Children and young people showed off their skills at a mini football tournament and during football-related activities to celebrate the installation of new goalposts at a South Ockendon park.

On Saturday 18 March, young members of the community came together to enjoy a kick-around at Bonnygate Park. They were joined by Thurrock Council's Resident Engagement and Parks Engagement Teams, representatives from Mears and Huws Gray, Cllr Qaisar Abbas, Cabinet Member for Culture and Communities, Cllr Andrew Jefferies, Cabinet Member for Environment, and Cllr Paul Arnold.

Volunteers and nursery school children have kicked off the Great British Spring Clean 2023 in Thurrock.

On Friday 17 March, volunteers at Aveley Community Hub, 7 nursery-age children with nursery staff, and local volunteer litter-pickers joined Cllr Andrew Jefferies, Cabinet Member for Environment, and Aveley ward Councillor, Cllr Maureen Pearce to get the national campaign’s fortnight of activities underway.

Working in partnership With Thurrock Music Education Hub, Thurrock Youth Cabinet is asking young people in the borough aged 11 to 18 years-old to have their say and complete a youth music survey.

Lionel Mazithulela, Member of Youth Parliament for Thurrock Youth Cabinet, said: "On behalf of Youth Cabinet, I would like to encourage all young people to complete this short survey. This is our chance as young people to input into future activities the Music Education Hub could offer in Thurrock."

Thurrock Council's road improvement programme will help to create safer roads and neighbourhoods as well as increasing electrical vehicle charging points in the coming year.

A report approved at Cabinet this evening (Wednesday 15 March) sets out plans on how the council will use a £979,000 Department for Transport (DfT) Integrated Transport Block grant (ITB) to fund a capital programme for improving the borough's road network.

The proposed site area for developing proposals for the future of the Blackshots Tower Blocks were agreed at Cabinet this evening, Wednesday 15 March.

These plans include the demolition and re-development of the three 11-storey tower blocks – Keir Hardie House, Bevan House and Morrison House – on the Blackshots estate in Grays.

Cllr Luke Spillman, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: "This is another great step forward for the redevelopment of the Blackshots Tower Blocks, which is long overdue.