THURROCK'S lead councillor for communities has paid tribute to the work of Thurrock Council staff during the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown.

At last night's {(Wednesday, 16 September) meeting of the authority's cabinet, Cllr Deborah Huelin – portfolio holder for central services – presented a report highlighting the work of council workers, saying two-thirds of services achieved their performance targets during the height of 'lockdown' in April to June this year.

Cllr Huelin said: "This report presents an impressive picture of how our staff have gone above and beyond during a time of great uncertainty and continued to deliver excellent services for our residents.

"On the 23rd of March this year Boris told the country to stay at home and businesses to close.

"While many residents in Thurrock woke up on the 24th of March to fears for the safety of themselves and loved ones - wondering what to do next - 2,000 council staff woke up with the same fears yet knowing they needed to continue to deliver very vital services, keeping residents safe.

"They needed to do their job and more.

"We are able to see how some of our most crucial services have continued to be safely delivered during this time, whilst acknowledging how a number of these, such as bin collections, have faced complex challenges throughout the pandemic.

"This year has also seen the council take on additional work to support our residents and the wider Thurrock community. This includes forming Thurrock Coronavirus Community Action working alongside Thurrock CVS to support vulnerable residents, as well as helping businesses to re-open, temporary measures to make high streets and shopping areas safer and working with schools whilst supporting our workforce to carry out their roles safely and in line with the latest government guidance.

"Our staff have been both understanding and supportive when taking on key roles such as the distribution of food, medicine and support to some of our most vulnerable residents in the borough.

The full report, which also highlights the 11 significant areas of performance where the council failed to hit target is available to view here.