THURROCK MP Jen Craft has issued a strongly-worded demand that outgoing Thurrock Council CEO Dr Dave Smith reverses an 'insulting' decision which she says will ensure continued 'misery' for residents in Tilbury and across the wider borough.

Mrs Craft issued an open letter to Dr Smith, who is about to leave Thurrock for another highly-paid CEO's job after three and a half years in the borough, where he has been paid in excess of £250,000 a year to run the borough.

She has called on him to change a decision to axe the Tilbury dust hotline – which Thurrock Nub News exclusively revealed yesterday - has been axed by the council just five months after going live in April.

Her message to Dr Smith is blunt. She says: "I am writing regarding the closure of the Tilbury dust hotline on 31 August.

"This decision is an insult to residents in Tilbury. It demonstrates an alarming lack of urgency in the Council to take the issue of dust seriously, while it continues to cause misery for the local community.

"Alongside residents, I worked hard to get this hotline set up. Dust in Tilbury has been an issue throughout my lifetime, but this phone line was an important step forward in tackling the problem.

"It provided a single point of contact for people to report incidents, at any time of the day, helping identify the source of dust pollution and supporting agencies to find solutions. Above all, it gave residents a voice, when this problem has been historically ignored.

"The timing of this decision is even more concerning. The extreme hot and dry weather we have experienced in Thurrock this summer has made dust pollution worse. I have heard from many residents who have had their homes, cars and other property covered in dust – and on more than one occasion.

"The closure of the hotline is completely unacceptable. I would therefore ask that you urgently reconsider the decision to close it and reopen the hotline at the earliest opportunity."

Despite an urgent request from Thurrock Nub News, the council has declined to explain why the decision was made – or who made it.

The senior chain of command puts responsibility in the hands of Assistant Director of Community Protection & Enforcement Services Mike Dineen, who has among his 'key tasks' the role of leading council responses regarding persistent nuisance dust pollution in Tilbury, co-ordinating with the Environment Agency and public health teams.

Mr Dineen reports to Executive Director of Corporate Services Dan Fenwick, who nods his head to Dr Smith.

It seems implausible that there would be no councillor input into the decision to curtail the Tilbury dust hotline, given its high profile in the pollution-tainted town, but Tilbury's four Reform councillors reportedly had no knowledge of the decision, nor did Mrs Craft - nor Craig Austin, chair of Tilbury Forum who also played a big role in ensuring the launch of the reporting service.

Funding for the service was encapsulated in the budget for the current year and protocol suggests it could only be cut with consent of one of the council's leading Reform members.

Tilbury Cllr Bailey Scott, another passionate advocate of the hotline, declined to give Thurrock Nub News an immediate comment on his thoughts, saying he needed to reflect on the news, but said he and local colleagues would be seeking information from the council's top brass – at both political and officer level as soon as possible.

Another to have played a key role in ensuring the hotline came into being was former Labour cabinet member Mark Hooper who championed its introduction in his role as portfolio holder for adult social care and health.

Today he told Nub News: "I am extremely disappointed the council have taken down the dust line. I pushed to have it set up so residents have a voice.

"The previous environment agency phone line was not helpful and the council had no record that dust was a problem in Tilbury.

"That issue was solved with the creation of the hotline and a dedicated and informed team to respond to and investigate calls.

"Residents could call the dust line the council would have a record and work with environmental agencies and local industries to resolve the cause of the dust pollution.

"It was a vital and prudent initiative and the closing of the line would not have happened under my watch. The hotline should be reinstated."

Whether that decision will be made by Dr Smith, or his line managers, remains to be seen.

When he arrived in Thurrock on 21 March 2023 Dr Smith said: "Thurrock Council is facing some of the greatest challenges ever faced by a local authority, and the scale of the task ahead should not be underestimated."

Dust and air pollution in Tilbury was high on the list of those challenges but it seems it is one that remains unresolved as he slips away to pastures new in Slough.

Dr Smith may be changing jobs, but he is not changing bosses. Gavin Jones, lead commissioner for Thurrock, has the same role at Slough Council, and he has praised the 'positive impact' of his colleague's leadership in Thurrock.

Now the challenge of making a positive impact in Thurrock falls to new CEO Debbie Ward, who is due to arrive within a few days and may well find Mrs Craft's letter as an urgent matter on her new desk.