THE leader of Thurrock Council has welcomed news that the government is to plough £75 million into the proposed regeneration of Purfleet.

Cllr Rob Gledhill was speaking in the wake of last week's budget when Chancellor Rishi Sunak detailed how government's Housing Infrastructure Fund will provide £2.3 billion in grants to help regeneration in key areas across the country.

Following a bid submitted from Thurrock Council, in association with its regeneration partners in Purfleet in 2018, Thurrock has been told it will get £75 million.

Working with partners, Thurrock Council is part of Purfleet Centre Regeneration Ltd (PCRL), which is a joint venture between Urban Catalyst and Swan Housing Association. Vice-Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, husband of the Princess Royal, chairs PCRL.

They plan to create "a vibrant new Thames-side community in Purfleet-on-Thames including a new town centre with shops and restaurants, an integrated medical centre, improved transport infrastructure, a new primary school and 2,850 new homes."

The scheme is also earmarked to provide more than one million square feet of film and TV production studios.

Later phases of the scheme, says the council, will deliver a new university campus creating a world class education facility with a focus on health and the creative arts.

The funding will be used to provide infrastructure including replacing the level crossing with a bridge over the railway, a new health centre, river wall, drainage and other important utility infrastructure.

Cllr Gledhill said: "It is fantastic to see this project making such progress. This is another significant milestone in our £1 billion scheme to deliver new infrastructure, a new town centre, Health and education facilities and homes for our residents and will enable us to get vital infrastructure in place for this community.

"It follows planning permission being granted for the first 61 homes and a successful resident-led campaign to formally rename Purfleet as Purfleet-on-Thames as this scheme begins to gather steam.

"It is yet more government regeneration funding coming to the borough.

"We are also bidding for up to £50 million from the government's Town Funding for regeneration in Grays and Tilbury and for our share of the £1 billion Future High Street fund for Grays.

"This is another huge step forward for Thurrock.

"The announcement of this Government funding shows the confidence in us to deliver this nationally significant project that will improve a thriving community right here by the Thames in Thurrock."

The council has already granted outline planning permission for the redevelopment.

Ken Dytor, PCRL founder and executive chairman of Urban Catalyst said: "This development will tap into the power of culture, creative industries and healthy living. The approval is the result of many years of work and has been shaped by our detailed engagement with the local community and stakeholders, who we listened carefully to in drawing up our forward-thinking social infrastructure-led proposals that promote health, education and employment."

John Synnuck, chief executive at Swan Housing Association, said the approval of the homes "reflects both our long-term relationship with Thurrock Council, which is at the heart of PCRL's delivery strategy, and our engagement with the local community".

"We will now all work together to create a thriving environment that provides much-needed new homes and services, alongside significant employment and educational opportunities for the local community."