WHILE many headlines have been written about the battle to save Thurrock's Thameside complex and the theatre and museum located within it, another landmark site that the borough council wants to dispose of is also subject to a campaign for its retention.

Campaigners are seeking to ensure the future of the Grangewaters site which offers a whole range of activities to the borough's young people – but is also on the council's hit list as it seeks to save cash it has to spend on running community assets.

The 'Save Grangewaters' campaign is gaining momentum with lobbying of senior councillors and officers and publicity extolling the virtue of the facility which is a year-round outdoor education centre set in Thurrock's countryside.

It covers more than 70 acres of natural woodland, open grassland, two lakes, activity areas and accommodation and plays host to a multitude of activities including abseiling, archery, canoeing and kayaking, climbing, dinghy sailing, mountain biking, zip line and much, much more. It is also regularly used to host Duke of Edinburgh's Award training and expeditions.

Next month residents will have a chance to experience the whole gamut of activities with a festive fun day at Grangewaters. Full details of the event on Saturday, 4 December which will showcase many of the things the council perversely appears to want to get rid of are on the authority's website here.

One of the organisations at the forefront of trying to ensure Grangewaters is saved is Thurrock Yacht Club, which has taken charge of the dinghy fleet there.

At a recent meeting of Thurrock Council's corporate services overview and scrutiny committee Murray James from the club, which has recently successfully petitioned the council to acknowledge Grangewaters as a community asset, addressed councillors.

He said: "Grays has been offered a once in a generation opportunity to connect the town with its Thames foreshore through the £20 million Town Fund. This could unlock huge recreational potential on the river - potential that is also recognised by the Port of London Authority through its Active Thames programme which aims to increase participation in recreational activity along the full length of the river.

"Our stretch of the Thames has some unique advantages for sailing in particular but strong tides, deep mud and commercial shipping traffic mean it is a challenging area for novices. A degree of both competence and confidence are required to enjoy our waters safely.

"Grays is a coastal town with a proud maritime history and at Thurrock Yacht Club we firmly believe that we need to be putting a focuis on maritime sports in an area that suffers from high levels of inactivity - a problem that members will know leads to a higher long term demand on scarce council and NHS resources.

"Thurrock is fortunate that it already has a fantastic facility at Grangewaters. Following the winding down of sailing at Stubbers in Upminster, Grangewaters is now the only safe learning water within easy reach of Thurrock. It is also iodeal as a feeder site for other aquatic sports that can transfer to the Thames including paddle sports and rowing.

"Our club is currently working with the team at Grangewaters to establish recreational sailing activities that span both their site and our established sailing area on the Grays waterfront.

"A joined up offer of this nature creates opportunity not only for the people of Thurrock - it will attract people to come from surrounding areas to regularly enjoy leisure time in our wonderful borough and prove that we are more than just a place to shop.

"We urge this committee to do everything within their remit to ensure the long term financial impacts of disposing of Grangewater are fully explored before any decisions are made, including the important role in ensuring the Grays Town fund project does not leave Thurrock stranded with a new generation of unproductive public assets.

"Grangewaters is more than a cherished community asset - it is a vital enabler for bringing recreation to the Thames."

At the meeting, the council's senior finance officer, Sean Clark, assured Mr James and councillors that Grangewaters is not at the immediate forefront of its assets disposal plans.

Unlike the Thameside complex, which could be shut down by March, Mr Clark said the future of Grangewaters could take two or three years to be decided. Nevertheless many councillors are still concerned about Grangewaters and at a full council meeting on Wednesday (24 November) they will get the chance to debate its future when they consider a motion by South Ockendon councillor Mike Fletcher, who represents Belhus ward. He wants the council to reconsider plans to sell off the centre. In the motion Mr Fletcher asks the council to consider the centre "as a place where our young people learn the skills, values and understanding of their environment that our borough urgently needs; and as an essential training facility for local groups as diverse as schools, triathletes and the Grays yacht club and that this chamber urges cabinet to halt any plans to sell or close the centre". Nub News will be reporting from the meeting and will bring you coverage of the debate and outcome of Cllr Fletcher's motion.