CORRINGHAM has been earmarked for up to 3,200 new homes under the intial proposals developed and selected as council planners' first choice for the community.

New neighbourhoods will be created in the east of the town and will primarily be accessed from Lampits Hill and Southend Road.

It is hoped the developed area will include a new Corringham station on the c2c London to Southend line.

Proposals include two new primary schools (including the potential reprovision of an existing school) with early years childcare provision and potential onsite special educational needs provision.

And new local/neighbourhood centres will provide floorspace suitable for things like shops, cafes, health and community facilities, offices and creches.

There will be new and improved access onto the B1420 and High Road and the realignment of Southend Road as it approaches Lampits Hill.

The following is extracted from the plan and highlights the council's intentions across the wider Grays area.

Places people live, work and visit - opportunity areas

Opportunity areas are places that we think have the potential to intensify existing uses and/or explore opportunities to bring forward new uses like more homes.

It is important that new development that takes place in these areas is comprehensively planned so that the infrastructure needed to support new or intensified uses is provided when and where they are needed.

The new Local Plan will seek to set out principles for the development of these areas with more detailed guidance produced as standalone documents i.e., development frameworks, masterplans, or design codes.

All homes that are delivered within opportunity areas would need to be net zero homes – with a minimum of 10% affordable housing provision (the target set is lower than edge of settlement sites as viability is likely to be more challenging within these areas) and 20% biodiversity net gain.

They would also be expected to make appropriate contributions to supporting infrastructure needed to support the delivery of the development such as transport improvements, open space/public realm improvements and improved community, education, and health facilities.

Places people live - new neighbourhoods

We have identified Corringham town centre and some of the area surrounding it as an Opportunity Area.

Within this area we think there is the opportunity to intensify existing retail, leisure and community uses; introduce new uses that will help boost local employment; and provide new homes for a range of different groups including single people, older people, and young families.

Corringham Town Park is included within the opportunity area – here we want to see improvements to the park to help create more activity, and better supervision over the space.

Improvements should help to tackle antisocial behaviour and make people feel safer using and walking through the park.

Places people live - new neighbourhoods

New neighbourhoods are areas where we think new homes should be built. To become successful places they require supporting infrastructure, like education, health and community facilities, and open spaces.

These should be delivered within the new neighbourhoods if improvements or expansions to existing infrastructure are not possible or appropriate.

Large new neighbourhoods should look to meet the day to day needs of residents with the provision of a local or neighbourhood centre which residents can easily walk and cycle to.

New neighbourhoods should also be well connected to the existing settlement and to other places where residents may need to visit, such as for work, shopping, or leisure activities. It is important that all our new neighbourhoods are designed as places and that the facilities they provide or enhance benefit both new and existing communities.

New neighbourhoods would be expected to deliver net zero homes - with a minimum of 35% affordable housing provision and a mix of homes in terms of size and type. They will be expected to integrate with neighbouring communities and contribute to the enhancement of walking and cycling networks, open spaces and leisure and recreational provision.

They should also address surface water drainage and the impact of noise and air pollution from nearby sources, as well as deliver 20% biodiversity net gain.

The council says it has consulted with Corringham residents already to shape its plans - but more consultation will follow.

New neighbourhoods to the northeast of Corringham have the potential to deliver in the range of 2,700 to 3,200 new homes with a focus on family housing including homes for key workers. The new neighbourhoods would primarily be accessed from Lampits Hill and Southend Road.

The new neighbourhoods will also be expected to provide:

• 2 new primary schools (including the potential reprovision of an existing school) with early years childcare provision and potentially onsite SEN alternative provision;

• New local/neighbourhood centres providing floorspace suitable for things like shops, cafes, health and community facilities, offices and creches;

• Land safeguarded for a new railway station and/or transport interchange;

• New and improved access onto the B1420 and High Road;

• Realignment of Southend Road as it approaches Lampits Hill:

• Improved pedestrian and cycle connectivity between Fobbing and Corringham;

• Enhancements to the local green and blue infrastructure network to help manage surface water more effectively.

Places people work - existing and new employment areas

The demand for employment land in the borough is expected to grow.

To ensure there is enough land for businesses we will safeguard the borough's existing employment areas and propose new employment sites to increase supply. Existing employment areas will be categorised as Tier 1, Tier 2 or Oil and Chemical Storage areas and new employment sites will be categorised as Tier 1.

The categories define the types of employment uses that would be supported within them and the instances where complimentary or alternative uses would be considered.

There is a significant amount of employment land within Corringham at London Gateway and Thames Enterprise Park which fall under the proposed Tier 1 and Oil and Chemical Storage categories.

Tier 1 employment areas have good access to the strategic road network and are the borough's key employment areas. They are suitable for all employment uses - office, industrial processes, and storage and warehousing, and will be safeguarded for these uses.

Oil and Chemical Storage areas are of national importance and therefore are safeguarded for that specific use.

If the demand for this use ceases, other employment uses would be considered suitable. Two new Tier 1 employment areas are proposed for Corringham.

The Thames Enterprise Park which was previously designated for oil refinery use will be brought forward for general employment purposes while an extension to London Gateway to the west will provide additional land for future expansion of the logistics park.

As Tier 1 sites they will be expected to accommodate all employment uses - office, industrial processes, and storage and warehousing and provide a range of unit/plot sizes. Enhancements to the road network will be required along with improvements to other supporting infrastructure.

Consideration will also need to be given as to how the recently ratified Local Wildlife Sites located within these proposed employment areas will impact on their development potential. We are proposing to deallocate the previously safeguarded oil refinery expansion land to the north of the employment area.

The land is no longer required for that purpose, it remains undeveloped, it is adjacent to a nationally significant Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) and most of it is designated as a Local Wildlife Site. We would like it to form part of a larger network of green infrastructure.

Port operational land is identified at DP World

Alternative provision

This option includes the Opportunity Area, safeguarding the existing employment areas and the two new employment sites but it proposes a smaller level of housing growth compared to the Initial Proposal with a smaller neighbourhood to the northeast of Corringham.

The smaller neighbourhood would have the potential to provide 750 to 1,000 new homes, of which 35% would be affordable and all would be net zero carbon homes.

It would provide a mix of homes in terms of size and type but with a focus on family housing and homes for key workers.

The new neighbourhood would deliver:

• A new primary school with early years childcare provision and potentially onsite SEN alternative provision;

• New local/neighbourhood centre providing floorspace suitable for things like shops, cafes, health and community facilities, offices and creches;

• Land safeguarded for a new railway station and/or transport interchange;

• New and improved access onto the B1420;

• Minor enhancements to the local green and blue infrastructure network to help manage surface water more effectively.

Plans for other areas across the borough (including Stanford-le-Hope, Fobbing, Horndon and east Tilbury) can be found in the overarching local plan. Click here to read our summary story and a link to view and scroll to your chosen locality