Blackshots tower blocks to come down says borough's leading housing councillor as he pumps up council rent cost

By Neil Speight 10th Feb 2022

THURROCK Council's lead councillor for housing has announced that the authority is to demolish apartment tower blocks in Blackshots that have been blighted with mould and damp and other problems.

Speaking at this evening's meeting of the council's cabinet, Cllr Luke Spillman revealed that council house rents across the borough are to go up by 4.1 per cent in April, which will generate an additional annual income to the council of £1.845 million.

And as part of his announcement, Cllr Spillman threw in news that the increase in rents will stabilise the council's financial position and allow it to move forward with its housing regeneration plans, which include demolishing the three tower blocks in Blackshots that have been the subject of many complaints.

And they will be replaced by a showcase new development!

However, Cllr Spillman's soundbite announcement was short of detail and he did not make any reference to another part of the housing budget that was announced and approved by cabinet tonight which says the council plans to spend £8.137 million next year on tower block refurbishment.

Cllr Spillman's news came just days after his Conservative cabinet colleague and Blackshots ward councillor, Ben Maney, had announced he and fellow ward councillor Joy Redsell were 'challenging' the planned refurbishment for the three Blackshots tower blocks.

Cllr Maney spoke to Nub News about his belief that the council would be throwing good money after bad if it spent money on the Blackshots tower blocks and reiterated his previously stated view that it is time for the towers to come down.

They are Morrison House, Keir Hardie House and Bevan House, which each are 12 storeys high and house 56 flats.

And Cllr Maney in turn was speaking after much media coverage of the state of all tower blocks in Thurrock which have been subject to huge and expensive refurbishment delays and claims that they are damaging the health of residents – particularly children.

Tonight (Wednesday, 9 February) Cllr Spillman told cabinet: "Thurrock is now building again.

"We are going to get rid of the Blackshots Towers and build a lovely new development for the people that live in Blackshots. Places where they deserve to live.

"We are looking to regenerate some of the most dilapidated estates around Thurrock and to do that the service needs to be properly funded."

Announcing the increase in rents to make that happen, Cllr Spillman said: "It's not something that I do with any pleasure but it's something that is necessary to maintain the quality and the ambition of the service to give the people of Thurrock the housing service that they deserve."