THURROCK Council says that 'new neighbourhoods it wishes to create to the north, east and south of the existing settlement of East Tilbury and Linford have the potential to deliver in the range of 1,000 to 1,200 new homes.

The authority says it hopes to provide a new rail crossing bridge to alleviate problems at the existing crossing.

Among its aspirations for the villages are a new primary school – and possibly a secondary school.

The following is extracted from the plan and highlights the council's intentions across the East Tilbury 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

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.

The council says it has consulted with East and West Tilbury and Linford residents already to shape its plans - but more consultation will follow.

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.

New neighbourhoods to the north, east and south of the existing settlement of East Tilbury and Linford have the potential to deliver in the range of 1,000 to 1,200 new homes.

These new neighbourhoods will provide:

• a new primary school with early years childcare provision and potentially onsite SEN alternative provision north of the railway line;

• new purpose-built community hub alongside enhancements/expansion to Gobions Park;

• new road link over the railway to the west of East Tilbury; and

• improved walking and cycling routes to Stanford-le-Hope and Chadwell St Mary providing safe access to nearby secondary schools, including the new secondary school proposed to the east of Chadwell St Mary.

There is also potential for a secondary school to be located within East Tilbury if one was not provided within Chadwell St Mary.

Development close to heritage designations will need to be designed to complement, enhance and be sympathetic to the style, setting and character of the asset.

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.

• The Thames Industrial Estate and Durox Works will be safeguarded as Tier 2 employment areas. Tier 2 employment areas are typically located within existing settlements in areas that are predominantly housing or in locations where access is less suited to the type of businesses established in these areas.

Within Tier 2 employment areas the Council will support a shift towards employment uses which are compatible with neighbouring uses and the amenity of the area. The introduction of complimentary uses would also be welcomed providing there is no net loss of employment floorspace and there is no detriment to the operations of existing businesses.

• The Thames Industrial Estate will be reduced in size with unoccupied land to the back of the estate developed for housing which is accessed via the new link road over the railway line.

Places people visit - new Local Green Spaces

We are proposing 18 Local Green Spaces across the borough and one of them is Gobions Park in East Tilbury. These green spaces were nominated by the public and are recognised as having particular importance to their local communities. Their designation as Local Green Spaces through the Local Plan would give them a significant level of protection.

Alternative proposal:

This option would see no further growth to East Tilbury and Linford other than the 230 new homes and additional open space that already have permission to the north of the station.

The Thames Industrial Estate would remain the size it currently is but there may be potential to introduce other compatible uses on the site which could support the reuse of the former factory buildings.

West Tilbury

West Tilbury is an historic hamlet with no facilities of its own.

Buildings that were in nonresidential use, like the King's Head pub, bakery, and schoolhouse, have been converted into homes.

What you told us

We haven't undertaken any formal or informal engagement activity within West Tilbury itself – which means we don't have a steer from people who live and visit there about how they would like to see it grow, change, and adapt in the future.

Our initial proposal for West Tilbury is for it to continue to remain within the Green Belt with a policy approach similar to the one that currently exists allowing for new dwellings on genuine infill plots, the replacement of existing dwellings and the sympathetic extension of existing dwellings.

Alternative options

The alternative option we are considering for West Tilbury is to inset the village from the Green Belt.

This option would give dwellings within the inset area more flexibility and planning freedoms – which could result in more homes coming forward on infill or back land development sites.

It should be noted however that overall number of new homes being delivered would still be relatively low so there would not be much opportunity to secure meaningful improvements to local services and facilities.