MYSTERY surrounds the future of two organisations set up by Thurrock Council to help regenerate the borough and build new homes.

Thurrock Regeneration Limited and Thurrock Regeneration (Housing) Limited were intended to play a lead role in developing sites in the borough that might not otherwise prove attractive to external developers.

The roots of their formation was the quandary the council found itself in over the site of the former St Chad's School in Tilbury, which lay dormant for several years and was being ignored by prospective commercial developers, despite the council spending pots of money on trying to attract investors.

The council eventually stepped in and set up its own company to develop the site, called Gloriana. The initiative was widely praised and the council said: "Gloriana will provide a range of housing to meet the needs of residents in Thurrock, including affordable rent, low-cost home ownership and private sales.

"Gloriana was launched because housing development had stalled in Thurrock where there are 8,000 planning permissions granted but not being built out. It is not a vehicle to compete with the market but rather to kick start and develop where others will not.

"The company directors are council officers, and housing staff provide a complete package of development, management and maintenance services at benchmarked commercial rates."

When the Conservatives took over the council in 2016 they embraced the idea but changed the name of the company and Thurrock Regeneration Limited and Thurrock Regeneration (Housing) Limited took up the regeneration and building mantle.

However, with little or no publicity the council appears to be backtracking on the idea.

Three people who sat on the boards of both companies terminated their directorships in August – and they have not been replaced. Just one council employee, Helen McCabe, who is the Development Manager & Company Secretary of both companies, remains.

Thurrock Nub New was contacted by sources within the council who said there was concern about the way the companies are being managed and that the previous directors, Michael Jones, Carol Hinvest and Anna Eastgate had been ordered to resign.

We asked the council for an explanation and what its plans were but received the rather bizarre statement that appears to distance it from the companies it wholly owns, saying: "Thurrock Council is aware that the three directors of Thurrock Regeneration Limited and Thurrock Regeneration (Housing) Limited submitted their resignation as directors of both companies with effect from 31 August 2020."

The council did add: "The council remains committed to its plans for the future of housing in Thurrock and intend to deliver up to 500 new council homes over the next 5 to 10 years and develop up to 1,000 new homes to meet the housing needs and aspirations of Thurrock's residents."