FACILITIES at Grays Beach are set to be improved in the wake of a grant of £750,000 via the recently-formed Grays Town Board which will be used to improve local amenities.

It is planned to create a new fitness zone and accessible play area at the Thames riverside park.

More play equipment will be installed and work carried out to ensure the area is accessible to children with disabilities including wheelchair users.

The chair of the new board is Justin Thomas who said: "These plans will not only improve the appearance and quality of the open space in Grays, but will also provide a destination that meets the needs of the entire local community and is only the start of significant investment."

Thurrock Council says that the board has identified multiple projects to share in the millions made available by the government for Grays' regeneration.

They include improvements to the bus terminal which will be funded from the initial £750,000 which has been fast-tracked for use and a new wayfinding system.

Mr Thomas added: "This funding has enabled the board to immediately kick start the delivery of many projects, helping us to fast track delivery and at the same time, to work with the community to design a local investment plan for Grays."

Cllr Mark Coxshall, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Strategic Planning, said: "Grays is an important town centre with a key role in the borough's economy and it is great that the government continues to recognise the tremendous opportunities for investment and regeneration in Thurrock.

"This is a massive opportunity, with more funding in the pipeline next year and we would love to hear from residents and businesses in Grays to ensure that any emerging proposals are of maximum benefit to the borough. If you have any ideas of how we could invest this money to best benefit the local community, please get in touch."

Residents can submit ideas via the government's #MyTown website or email [email protected].