THURROCK Council has come under fire after pulling out of an agreement to grant a new lease to Thurrock District Scouts to operate the Alf Lowne Scout Centre on Richmond Road in Grays.

The centre is adjacent to the site of the former Thurrock Adult Community Council which was demolished by the council, though the authority had no plans if its own for future use of that site.

A submission of planning permission by Leeds-based care company LNT Care Developments for a 66 bedroom care home for the elderly was submitted to the council in June, but was recently withdrawn by the applicants – corresponding with the time the council advised the scouts it was withdrawing from the new lease negotiations. It has been reported the reason for the withdrawal was an issue with access.

Under the terms of the lease proposal with the scouts, it was due to be granted further space for access and parking.

A submission for a 66 bed care home adjacent to the Alf Lowne Centre have been withdrawn, reportedly because of access issues

It is not known if the two events are connected, but local councillors have expressed concern about the ongoing situation at the site and the lack of information from council officers.

Thurrock Council leader Cllr Andrew Jefferies, when asked about the withdrawal of the lease offer earlier this week, appeared unaware that it had happened!

And to add fuel to a slowly burning fire that appears to be gathering momentum, local residents have been upset by use of the centre as a temporary mosque by the local Muslim community while its building in nearby Grays Town Park is being renovated.

An already disappointed and angry residents' group that objected to the college demolition and closure of the adjacent car park have been further irritated by increases in traffic and parking issues on Richmond Road.

Local scouts representative Graham Monk says the youth organisation is angry and disappointed with the council's decision and that it will be seeking to recover costs associated with the lease negotiations.

After negotiation throughout the year, which the council claim was unnecessarily protracted and complicated by the Scout organisation, legal notice was given to the council on Wednesday, 18 October by the Scouts that they were ready to proceed with a new lease and were committed to carrying out a renovation and improvement process at its expense on the building over the 25 years of the new lease.

Scouts suggested a completion date of Friday, 27 October 2023.

However, within 24 hours of receipt of that message, apparently on the instruction of Rob Large, the council's programme director for asset disposals in the place directorate, Scouts were informed by Helen Graydon, Thurrock Council's principal property lawyer, that the offer has been withdrawn.

This week the council gave an explanation for its decision, telling Thurrock Nub News: "This refers to restructuring of a lease, which was agreed between the council and the local scout organisation in January 2023. Draft legal documents were sent to the Scout's appointed lawyers shortly thereafter.

"The Scouts' regional and national procedures led to multiple delays over many months (nearly 10 months), and their regional representative was advised on several occasions that the matter could not go on indefinitely, but they were still unable to conclude. Eventually the council had to give deadlines and then withdraw, as is usual estate management good practice.

"This kind of agreement would usually be signed in a matter of weeks.

"It has not affected the terms of the current lease, which still remains in force and means the local Scout group can continue to use the hall and land as per their current lease agreement."

Commenting on our questions, which included submission of details of the October communications between legal representatives of both sides, the council spokesperson added: "It is important that you understand that the limited email thread you have sent covers only two days (in October) of a process which the council initiated in January 2023, and therefore is not a full or accurate representation of the process or the significant amount of time during which Scout HQ could have completed signing an amended lease which they had agreed many months earlier."

Despite the statement of the council that it was the Scouts who caused delays, the authority has previously conceded that other land deals and transactions it proposed as part of its showcase initiative to give control of local venues back to responsible groups have been delayed because of staff shortages and changes within its own departments.

And through the year the council has stepped up its plans to dispose of many of its assets commercially to help offset the burden of its huge debt caused by the failue of its controversial 'borrow to invest policy'. The council has a debt burden of more than a billion poounds and current operational budgets are expected to bust by hundreds of millions.

The council's suggestion that fault over the Alf Lowne Scout Centre lies with the Scouts has angered the youth organisation and Mr Monk, who said the council's actions stank!

He told Nub News: "The Council were kept constantly informed of progress as we are governed by charity law and have to follow due diligence which is carried out on our behalf by the Scout Association Trust Corporation.

Deputy mayor Cllr Qaisar Abbas recently visited the Alf Lowne Centre to discuss traffic issues with divisional police chief CI Tony Atkin and also attend prayers in the centre.

"We have bent over backwards to assist when requests were made by councillors including deputy mayor, Cllr Qaisar Abbas who requested our assistance in providing a temporary home for the Moslim community while their mosque is being extended.

"We readily agreed to this and they have been using the facility since May.

"We have also made our facilities available to the Nepalese and Ghurkha Community for the past four years, again following contact from local councillors.

"Given a completion date was proposed with all issues cleared, this is like a kick in the teeth and an absolute insult.

"The council should be careful when speaking about timeliness over leases as they took more than five years to agree a new lease with 2st Thors Oak Scout Group.

"Their quoted timeliness from the start point in the middle of January are also incorrect.

"And their statement about the current lease is now incorrect as the access route has changed.

"The council agreed to pay all our fees and charges and we will ensure that this is enforced.

"Quite frankly this stinks and I believe that there is an ulterior motive.

"I think it is now time to raise the issue the perpetual covenant on the whole site which, in perpetuity restricts the of the whole site for education and leisure.

"Have we been used as pawns with the planning application for the rest of the site to be used for a care home without any new access route leading to further problems for the residents of Richmond Road?"

Issues around the former adult community college and the Alf Lowne Centre on Richmond Road continue to concern ward councillor John Kent.

Ward councillor John Kent says he was was unaware of the council's decision to withdraw the new lease to the Scouts but added: "This doesn't exactly come as a surprise to ward councillors, unpalatable as it appears to be. It's disappointing that we have not been informed and had to learn about it from a news platform. 

"When this administration decided to demolish the adult community centre, much to the consternation and concern of local residents, myself and ward colleagues warned, not only would there be problems disposing of the site, there would be huge disruption to residents of Richmond Road, and beyond; already difficult parking issues would be made far worse and people would have to live with the uncertainty of what might be built on their doorstep.

"Now, perhaps, the council has realised this and thinks that by getting rid of the scout centre this makes a sale a slightly more attractive proposition. Whatever happens on this site must avoid making things worse for local residents so I, and two ward colleagues, will be taking a close interest in what happens next."

Thurrock Nub News also contacted Cllr Jefferies directly about the issue and he confirmed he was unaware of the change but he has yet to personally respond.