THURROCK MP Jackie Doyle-Price has told of her 'serious concerns' and how she was appalled to see how residents at Lionel Oxley House in Grays have been treated by Thurrock Council following the botched refurbishment of the tower block.

She says it is time to stop throwing 'good money after bad' and look after the real needs of deserving residents. And she has called for 'engagement and dialogue' with residents.

Over recent months Nub News has exclusively detailed the shocking living conditions in some of the flats and the conditions of cold, mould and damp that some have had to endure.

However, members of the ruling Conservative group and officers at the council have played down the problems, refused to answers questions about the state of the building and ignored pleas from opposition councillors to do something about it.

Now Conservative MP Jackie Doiyle-Price has been to see for herself and has condemned what has happened.

And she has gone so far as to call for the block, and others in Seabrook Rise in Grays, to be demolished because it is not practical nor possible to repair them to a proper standard.

The council is currently overseeing a project at a cost of £1 million a block for the refurbishment but Ms Doyle -Price believes it will not solve the problems.

She told Nub News: "I have been quite appalled to hear of the conditions which have been imposed on residents of Lionel Oxley House in Grays.

"Thurrock Council has obligations to its tenants to maintain its properties in a suitably habitable condition. The prevalence of mould is a health hazard and can cause or exacerbate respiratory disease. When detected it needs to be addressed.

"At present this is simply not deliverable at Lionel Oxley House. The removal of the cladding has left the structure exposed. It was intended that the cladding would be restored by 22 December 2021. That has now been put back to April 2022.

"This means that these properties are uninsulated and unprotected from the weather during the winter months. I am concerned that when the cladding is replaced it will simply be placed on top of a building structure which is riddled with mould and damp. Certainly the examples of mould I have seen give me very serious concerns.

"Let's be very candid here. These towers are reaching the end of their natural life. This was why there were plans to decant residents from them into new accommodation and 'The Echoes' was built for that purpose. Sadly at the time Thurrock Council blinked. In an abject failure of leadership the then Council leadership backed off from doing the right thing.

"It is now time for the current leadership to right this wrong. Now that the Council offices are completed, the old accommodation can be redeveloped as housing as planned. This gives us the opportunity to rehouse residents of Seabrooke Rise.

"I appreciate that for many residents these are the homes they have loved and showed pride in for many years.

"It is however, the job of Thurrock Council to do the best for all its tenants and to maintain a housing stock which is fit for purpose. It will not always be possible to keep everyone happy.

That is not an excuse for inaction. Leadership requires tough decisions. It requires putting doing the right thing ahead of doing what is politically expedient. "It requires engagement and dialogue to manage expectations and reassure those who are frightened or uncomfortable. When the original plans were axed there were many residents who were profoundly disappointed that their hopes had been raised only to be dashed. "I am very pleased to see that there are plans for replacing the towers at Blackshots. I look forward to seeing the same plans being brought forward for Seabrooke Rise. I don't think it is enough to expect these council tenants to have to 'make do and mend' when the structures are past their sell buy date. "We will simply throw good money after bad if we don't grip this and come up with a proper plan for renewal. It wont be delivered overnight but it is time to show some ambition to deliver the best homes we can for our council tenants."