THURROCK Council has spent more than £360,000 on emergency repairs to its buildings over the past five years, newly-released figures show.

A Freedom of Information request revealed the authority has incurred £364,419 in urgent repair costs since 2020, with the Civic Offices and the Thameside Complex accounting for the biggest share of spending.

The data shows the Civic Offices required emergency works every year, costing the council more than £109,000 over the five-year period.

Annual spending ranged from £11,755 in 2020 to a peak of £23,571 in 2022.

The Thameside Complex, which the council has considered closing in recent years as part of savings plans, also generated significant repair bills—totalling more than £99,000.

Emergency costs at the building reached more than £41,000 in 2022 alone.

Libraries, children's centres, youth hubs and community buildings together accounted for tens of thousands more, with some sites recording repairs most years and others only occasionally.

Among the notable figures are Belhus Library (South Ockendon Hub) which saw emergency spend every year except 2025, amounting to around £5,625. Tilbury Library recorded costs in five out of six years, including more than £1,500 in 2023.

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Several children's centres required repeated works, with Aveley Children's Centre standing out at more than £46,000 across the period—most notably over £25,000 in 2024.

The FOI response also breaks down spending by site and year, highlighting that some locations, such as Corringham Library, incurred emergency costs intermittently, while others, including the Sunshine Centre and the Inspire Youth Hub, required more frequent attention.

Thurrock Council did not provide details of the exact nature of the repairs but confirmed that the figures relate specifically to urgent, unplanned works necessary to keep buildings safe or operational and did not indicate a shortfall on maintenance spending.

A spokesman for Thurrock Council, said: "Emergency repairs are distinct from maintenance and deal with unforeseen issues that arise rather than everyday maintenance. On average the council spends around £400,000 a year to maintain these buildings, with only £72,900, or roughly 18 per of its repairs and maintenance budget, being spent on repairs which are classed as emergencies."

The spokesman added: "It is hardly surprising that the two largest and most well used buildings the council owns have the most significant spend on emergency repairs and maintenance."