THURROCK Council leader Cllr Richard Bingley has welcomed today's decision to withdraw plans to merge the authority with Basildon, saying the authority can now focus fully on residents and frontline services rather than structural change.

Cllr Bingley said the council will look into seeking compensation from the government for money it has contributed to the cost of Local Government Administration (LGR).

Though the government has contributed to local costs, two years ago it set aside three million poinds to cover the cost of work it had to carry out.

Cllr Bingkey thanked Essex County Council leader Peter Harris for opposing the proposals and pursuing a Judicial Review challenge, which Thurrock supported as an interested party.

Cllr Bingley said: "LGR was costly and unnecessary and was set to diminish and destabilise the good standard of public services which unitary Thurrock has worked so hard to develop and improve since withdrawing from Essex County Council back in 1998.

"We're delighted that the Government has listened to the consistent objections and common-sense points repeatedly made by our team here at Thurrock Council, as well as Essex County Council leader Cllr Peter Harris."

Cllr Bingley said the reorganisation would have cost Thurrock an estimated £7.2 million, with more than £2 million already spent on preparing for the changes.

He added: "We can now direct our sole focus back to Thurrock's residents and frontline public services."

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The council leader also criticised the resources spent by authorities across Essex developing reorganisation proposals.

He said: "Millions of pounds and thousands of hours of work have been wasted by local councils across Essex as they sought to comply and implement the local realities of this failed Labour Party pet project."

Thurrock's leader said the council would seek compensation from the Government for money already spent.