THURROCK Council stands accused of wilfully attempting to mislead councillors and the press, while senior Conservative councillors have turned a blind eye to evidence that shows their officers have distorted the truth.

Over recent months Thurrock Nub News has reported several times on problems with street lighting in the south Grays area, particularly around the high rise blocks and Seabrooke Rise maisonettes and flats.

Our reports go as far back as August 2020 when a first call for action was made 'while the sun shines'.

In November last year we reported on a large number of defective lights, identified by ward councillor Martin Kerin and local resident Ian Zanders. They identified more than 60 defective street and pathway lights that were defective in the Seabrook Rise area.

That instigated a programme of repairs that was welcomed by Cllr Kerin and other ward councillors and we reported on their reaction in this story in January this year. 

However, the improvement was short-lived. Some of the repairs quickly failed and other faults were discovered.

Within months there appeared to be as many faults as before and residents and councillors' complaints continued to be filed with the council.

In early July Nub News once again reported on the high level of concern, and fears about safety following a number of unsavoury incidents in the south Grays area.

But the council appeared ambivalent about the level of complaints and did not answer media queries in a timely manner – nor did they respond to questions made by councillors.

That culminated in our story of 24 July when ward councillors Kerin, Jane Pothecary and Tony Fish demanded action and said the saga had gone on long enough.

But rather than respond with an apology and action, the council went on the offensive and said they had fixed all the lights.

Light and shade. Views on the Seabrooke estate this evening.

A statement issued on 25 July said: "Repairs to four streetlights in the car park of Greenwood House, Grays, took place last week.

"All four defective lights had been repaired by the afternoon of Friday, 22 July. Three were repaired on Monday 18 July but the repair teams were unable to access the fourth column because of parked vehicles. They returned on Friday, 22 July and carried out the final repair.

"With repairs completed on Friday 22 July all five lights in the Greenwood House car park are now fully functional, as confirmed by two visits from the contractors carried out across the weekend."

The council also said it wanted Nub News to retract reports and said: "We would like to draw your attention to the fact that the majority of columns were repaired on Monday 18 July with the final light being repaired on Friday 22 July, which means that at the time of publication (1pm Sunday 24 July) the article was incorrect and repairs had been carried out.

"That the repair was effective was confirmed twice over the weekend through visits from the out of hours repairs service. We would ask that you seek to correct the article."

The council's statements were ridiculed by residents and councillors alike, who immediately highlighted more street lights that were out of action.

A list of 31 defective lights was compiled and sent to the council – and a historic record of when previous complaints had been submitted was also sent too.

By Friday, 29 July the council appeared to be backtracking in the face of evidence and in response to the list of defective lights submitted said: "As we are sure you will understand it is taking some time to investigate the status of these 31 lights and establish if reports that they are defective were received. It will help reduce the time to answer if you could supply details of how, when and to whom each report was made."

Nub News (and Cllr Kerin) submitted all that information - which had previously also been submitted.

And Thurrock Nub News editor Neil Speight sent in the following: "The relevant department has all the details from ward councillors. There is no legitimate reason not to answer my question. 

"In your email to me you said: 'We would like to draw your attention to the fact that the majority of columns were repaired on Monday 18 July with the final light being repaired on Friday 22 July, which means that at the time of publication (1pm Sunday 24 July) the article was incorrect and repairs had been carried out.'

"My article was clearly not 'incorrect' and your assertion that the council has repaired 'the final light' is, in fact, the 'incorrect' statement. This is unacceptable.

"The leader of the council and the deputy leader (Cllr Rob Gledhill and Cllr Mark Coxshall) have stressed the importance of transparency and honesty.

"Within days of that, your department, either on behalf of another department or under its own initiative, wilfully issued an untruth to the media.

"You have had days to respond to my ensuing question in a timely manner in accordance with your communications policy. 

"Why does the communications department wilfully and, presumably under instruction from your senior officers and director, issue false statements rather than answer a legitimate question with the truth? 

"Your continued action to mislead the media and to deceive borough residents is shameful and a disgrace. 

"Why does the communications department continue to issue unattributed comments, ie that Nub News issued incorrect statements? 

"Why cannot a member of the communications department sign the releases you issue?

"Failure to do so inhibits trust and the building of any positive relationships between the media and council comms team.

"I have copied this email to Cllrs Gledhill and Coxshall. Their statements at full council in June were unequivocal. They instructed officers to be open and transparent and to communicate with the media.

"They are invited to comment on the wilful and blatant disregard to a clear mandate issued by elected councillors.

"Officers have a duty to serve their councillors and the residents, not issue lies and deception in a bid to protect the clear failings of other officers and departments.

Cllrs Tony Fish, Jane Pothecary and Martin Kerin.

"It is clear the existing communications team cannot be relied upon to tell the truth and answer lawful and legitimate questions of public interest."

Since sending that message on Friday, 29 July at 10.13am, the council has not responded. Nor, they tell us, have Cllrs Kerin, Pothecary and Fish received any answers to a number of their own questions.

Nor have either Cllr Gledhill or Cllr Coxshall, making something of of a mockery of their public pledge to speak openly and transparently about council issues.

Darkness prevails. Views of Sherfield Road rail bridge

This evening (Tuesday, 9 August) Nub News editor Neil Speight visited the south Grays area including Greenwood House and the Seabrooke estate flats and maisonettes. He said: "Firstly, I have to say that the number of lights that were not working was minimal. The worst area was on Sherfield Road crossing the rail line where two main lights are out and it was quite dark, especially when there were no cars. That would definitely be unnerving for some people and needs to be remedied quickly.

"While there were certainly not 31 failed lights that I could see there were enough to make a mockery of the council statement that they completed 'final repairs'. More repairs are definitely needed. And they always will be. It's just silly for the council to appear not to recognise that lights will fail and need repairing. and to pretend they haven't been told about the failures when clearly they have. Everything fails at some point - when I got in my car after taking pictures I noticed I had a rear red light out. It may have been failed for some time but it's the first time I have noticed and I will get it fixed. If I got pulled by the police I wouldn't say 'Sorry but it is working' when clearly its isn't. I'd say sorry, hope for forgiveness and get it fixed pronto!

"Above and beyond the specific issue of the lights, and I have no doubt that the three Labour councillors are political point-scoring to a degree, it is not the job of officers of the council to lie to those councillors, nor to distort the truth to the media and residents. That is shameful. and what is even more shameful is that two leading councillors - the leader and the deputy leader no less - appear to turn a blind eye when the truth is pointed out to them. The council, and Cllrs Gledhill and Coxhall, have had 12 days since I contacted them with legitimate questions and a request for comment and answers. Not a word has been forthcoming. In June those two senior councillors spoke about transparency and honesty and treating the media and democracy with respedct. It seems they are hollow sentiments."

Cllrs Kerin, Pothecary and Fish have issued the following statement: "As a ward team, all the three of us want is the best for the area we represent.

"Therefore, when our residents contacted us about the poor lighting in the Greenwood House car park, we were on to it straight away. We had hoped that the issue of the lighting would be remedied quickly, so that our residents felt safer using the car park at night.

"After reporting the issue and highlighting it in the press, it came as a shock to us that our version of events, based on actually being on the ground and speaking to our residents, was contradicted by the council. Following the officially published council rebuttal, we went back to the car park at night to reinspect the lights for ourselves.

"Despite the council statement claiming all the lights were repaired, we found lights still in a state of disrepair - which meant that the rebuttal was incorrect. This was very disappointing to us as, ultimately, all we want is for the lights to be working and for our residents to feel safer. We want to work with the council for the betterment of our area. However, this can only work if there is honesty and trust.

"Ward councillors shouldn't have to go out and prove their version of events against the official council line. We are embedded in our community. When we raise issues and flag them in the press, it is only because we have been told by our residents and seen it for ourselves."

"In future, we sincerely hope that the issues we raise are resolved quickly, and that the council works with us - not against us."