A FORMAL planning application has now been submitted to Thurrock Council for the demolition and rebuild of Grays shopping centre, multi-story car park and the Crown Road office block

In their place the applicants and site owners NewRiver hope to build up to 860 residential units and provide 7.436 sq.m of new commercial floorspace in a revamped shoppinf facility.

Submission of the application for outline approval comes after a public consulation organised by NewRiver which outlined its aims to develop a new town centre and public square.

New River say the plans - described as turning Grays town centre's 'shadowy, empty spaces' into a 'thriving new town square where people can live, work, meet, sit, and enjoy a greener Grays' - will:

Provide an attractive setting for new shops, restaurants, leisure, and community spaces

Create a vibrant and safe public realm to support a thriving evening economy

Deliver much needed new homes in an accessible and sustainable urban location

Introduce design-led, landscaped spaces for the whole community

Full details of the application can be found via this link.

How the development might look.

The aim is to prove up to 860 new homes with the erection of four blocks of accommodation to provide a mix of uses, reaching heights of 16 storeys.

In November 2022 Thurrock Council's Conservative administration welcomed the proposal, with then leader Mark Coxshall saying: ""This administration wants our commitment to regenerating Grays Shopping Centre with our partners NewRiver to be clear and we are hugely supportive of the plans that have been shown to residents as part of its public consultation exercise.

"As we move into the next stage of developing our local plan in Thurrock, residents will have the chance to outline how they want our borough to look over the next 15 years.

"Rebuilding our High Street in Grays into a modern and well utilised space is the best way for us to protect our Green Belt land elsewhere and create a social and community hub that will keep residents spending locally." 

A detailed design statement for the new project comes in two parts and can be found via these links:

https://regs.thurrock.gov.uk/online-applications/files/D01B5383D30E9E40A674A7089C7EC4DF/pdf/23_01446_OUT-DESIGN_AND_ACCESS_STATEMENT_PART_1-987427.pdf

https://regs.thurrock.gov.uk/online-applications/files/8C1C092E7BEB2522F4746DBDB03E13B5/pdf/23_01446_OUT-DESIGN_AND_ACCESS_STATEMENT_PART_2-987428.pdf