THE much maligned, controversial and hugely expensive Purfleet Regeneration Project has reappeared on Thurrock Council's agenda.

Purfleet-on-Thames regeneration is a £1 billion project which expresses the intent to build 2,850 new homes, a new town centre, a primary school and a medical hub.

Initial plans proposed integrating a major film and TV studio complex into the project - though that idea fell on largely stoney ground.

The scheme been damned by many observers, most notably former Thurrock MP Dame Jackie Doyle-Price who was its most public and vehement critic.

She was a fierce and consistent opponent of the original Purfleet regeneration project. She repeatedly slammed the proposal, branding key elements of it "not viable in any way."

She particularly damned the premise that the scheme would open a gateway to a multi-million pound TV and film studios investment.

Among the leading lights promoting the project, which consumed millions of pounds of public money before it collapsed, was Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, husband of Princess Anne served as the non-executive Chairman and Director of the original development consortium.

His involvement with the Purfleet-on-Thames regeneration spanned more than a decade, acting as the primary public face and leadership figure for the private delivery partner, though he disappeared from public accountability in the wake of the consortium's collapse in 2024.

The cost to the public purse has never been defined though it undoubtedly runs into ten of millions.

However, the powers-that-be in public life didn't give up on the idea and in March this year Thurrock Council approved moving forward with a new development partner, Muse Places.

The scheme was a lynchpin of the Labour hierarchy that ran the council in tandem with government-appointed commissioners.

When local government elections in Thurrock were called at the turn of the year, the ultimately successful Reform UK campaign seized on failed and drastically expensive infrastructure projects like Purfleet Regeneration, saying it would 'lift the bonnet' and challenge the reasoning behind massive spending schemes that had failed to deliver.

On Wednesday of next week (26 August) Reform senior members who make up the cabinet, are being asked to back senior officers to continue their work on the project.

A recommendation in a report prepared by Mark Bradbury, a former director of place who has drifted in and out of the shadows of power for several years and now holds the post of Director - Strategic Growth Partnerships & Special Projects on a base salary of £107,338 with other remuneration topping his pay up to &129,665, invites councillors to leave the matter in the hands of other senior officers.

The recommendation Reform are being asked to agree says: "The Executive Director of Place, Property & Development has authority, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director – Corporate Services & Monitoring Officer, to progress the appointment of appropriate consultants to complete the remaining due diligence and support the negotiation of a Development Agreement, at each party's own cost and risk."

An upbeat statement talking about 'momentum' ahead of next week's cabinet meeting says the Cabinet is being asked to allow the council to appoint specialist consultants to support the negotiation of a development agreement ahead of appointing the Council's preferred partner, Muse Places Limited.

It adds: "Once the terms of a development agreement are in place they will be brought back to a future Cabinet meeting for approval."

Support for the long-running and botched project comes from Reform cabinet member Cllr Tom Kelly, a former Conservative chair of the council's planning committee and key member of the Tory group's policy-making quorum.

He says: "This is a vital project that will create a vibrant new community on the banks of the Thames in Purfleet. Not only will it provide housing for future generations, it will include all of the infrastructure and facilities to make sure that community can thrive and flourish.

"The sheer scale and ambition of the project mean that it is complex to deliver and each stage must be undertaken with care, caution and diligence.

"In the past over-optimism and a lack of diligence have meant that plans for the regeneration of Purfleet-on-Thames have ground to a virtual halt.

"This renewed approach will help us make sure that future plans are built on a firm foundation and that we can progress the regeneration of Purfleet-on-Thames in a way that delivers for local people and the borough."

Regeneration and Environment, said: "This is a vital project that will create a vibrant new community on the banks of the Thames in Purfleet. Not only will it provide housing for future generations, it will include all of the infrastructure and facilities to make sure that community can thrive and flourish.

"The sheer scale and ambition of the project mean that it is complex to deliver and each stage must be undertaken with care, caution and diligence. In the past over-optimism and a lack of diligence have meant that plans for the regeneration of Purfleet-on-Thames have ground to a virtual halt.

"This renewed approach will help us make sure that future plans are built on a firm foundation and that we can progress the regeneration of Purfleet-on-Thames in a way that delivers for local people and the borough."