PLANS for three major road schemes in Chadwell St Mary, Stanford-le-Hope and along the A1013 have been removed from Thurrock Council's transport strategy ahead of a vote by councillors next week.

While three road proposals have been dropped, significant new transport projects including a new Thames landing and a new borough rail station have been added to the strategy.

Members of the authority's full council will be asked to formally adopt the updated strategy on Wednesday, 30 September, setting out how the borough's transport network will support growth and development over the coming decades.

A report outlining the changes and the new strategy will be presented by transport portfolio holder Cllr Alan Benson. The most current version of the strategy being put to councillors can be viewed by this link.

However, the final version no longer includes proposals for a link road south of Muckingford Road in Chadwell St Mary, the Stanhope Industrial Estate link road in Stanford-le-Hope, or the realignment of the A1013 at Southfields and Orsett Cock Roundabout.

Original plans for Chadwell included new link roads north and south of Muckingford Road with the aim of eased pressure on the logjam Cross Keys junction between Riverview, Brentwood Road, Linford Road and Chadwell Hill. The north link, with a direct connection with brentwood Road, remains in the plan, with the council saying: "The new link road will release pressure on Cross Keys, allowing the redesign of the junction for a more pleasant environment for the local community with a focus on bus services and short-distance trips by active travel, adding resilience to the network and unlocking development sites as part of the long-term growth proposals for Chadwell St Mary identified in the Local Plan . However, the southern link has disappeared.

The proposed Stanhope link was used as a 'bargaining chip' for two planned housing estates in Stanford that remain in the local plan. They would have had egress and access to the Manorway via the new road, which would also take HGV traffic of Wharf Road.

For more than 20 years residents of Wharf Road have suffered because of goods vehicles entering and leaving the Stanhope industrial estate. Expansion on the industrial estate was only allowed 18 years ago because Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation promised delivery of a direct access route to and from the industrial estate, avoiding the town.

The Corporation reneged on that promise. As did Thurrock Council when it retook planning control. After years of lobbying by residents and ward councillors and repeated scrutiny of its viability and need in Local Plan meetings, in 2023 council members unanimously backed a cross-party motion to restart the link road proposal as it was vital for Stanford's well-being and would support new housing infrastructure.

The realignment of A1013 included a road link to Buckingham Hill Road to ease pressure on the existing, over-burdened junction.

While those schemes are set to be thrown out, three previously omitted schemes are included. One is to close the c2c line level crossing on Fobbing High Road – which allows access from the east of the borough to Basildon and the eastbound A13. Instead the strategy proposes creation of a new link road with junctions on Southend Road and Lampits Hill.

The new Transport Scheme also imagines a new Corringham rail station coming into being (see map above).

And it proposes a dedicated, modern landing stage on Thames at Purfleet, opening up possibilities for leisure craft, commercial river links or potential passenger ferry services.

No significant detail on either project is in the strategy.

Council documents state the three road schemes were removed following revisions to housing allocations in Thurrock's emerging Local Plan and the completion of further transport modelling work.

The Local Plan identifies land for thousands of new homes up to 2044, including capacity for around 2,963 homes in Chadwell St Mary and 938 in Stanford-le-Hope. However, council papers do not specify which changes to housing sites led to the removal of each individual road scheme.

Officers state the projects were "withdrawn following finalisation in proposed housing delivery sites within the Local Plan".

Part of the council's justification for the changes is a borough-wide public consultation that generated just 118 responses. Overall, 59 responses were specific to the major schemes proposed.

The consultation and questions were broken down into individual areas – East Tilbury received the most responses (14), followed by Stanford-le-Hope (11 responses), and then Grays (seven responses). In total 66% of responses were deemed positive, and 15% not in support.

Consultation processes in Thurrock run by the council have regularly been criticised for not being effective. The borough has a population of between 181,000 and 184 thousand people, living in around 69,500 households.

The transport strategy is intended to complement the borough's new Local Plan, which outlines where homes, jobs and infrastructure could be delivered until 2044. Consultation on the Local Plan remains open until October 14.

Thurrock's Cabinet backed the strategy on September 16 and recommend its adoption by Full Council.