GROUNDWORKS have now started on the first housing development included in the £1 billion planned regeneration of Purfleet-on-Thames.

Builders have moved in to cut the first turf on an estate of 61 two, three and four bedroom homes on the site of the former Cromwell House car park, close to the town's rail station.

The Purfleet regeneration project is something of a mix bag. On the one hand it is the centerpiece of Thurrock Council's strategy to regenerate the borough – on the other it has been condemned as an expensive, bureaucratic mish-mash by the borough's MP.

Last month Thurrock Nub News reported on the timetable for development for the entire scheme being delivered by the Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited (PCRL), a joint venture between Urban Catalyst and Swan Housing Association in association with Thurrock Council.

Work has started on Phase 1A of the project and the bigwigs behind the high profile company have jumped to the fore of publicity.

Director and founder of PCRL, Ken Dytor, said: "We are proud to announce that work has commenced on the first phase of Purfleet-on-Thames' regeneration. Our plans will see a vibrant riverside destination created where people can live, work, learn and socialise in harmony with its natural surroundings.

"These homes will not only contribute to the Government's target to build 300,000 new homes every year to address the UK'S chronic housing shortage but will also support the wider growth vision for Thames Estuary. Unlocking the region's economic potential will be key to securing the UK's recovery post-Brexit and Covid-19."

Vince Corrigan, chief operating officer at Keltbray which is building the homes, said: "Keltbray is pleased to have started works on this innovative urban regeneration scheme to support the transformation of Purfleet-on-Thames into an exciting riverside destination.

"The delivery of new homes embedded within modern, integrated community-based facilities will not only have significant social and economic benefits for the local community, but also the country as a whole as we work to build back better and support the UK Government's economic recovery post-Covid-19."

John Rowles, chair of Purfleet Community Forum, said: "Well folks, we have finally got there, it is now March 2021. We have spent time and effort in getting where we are now. PCRL are on site laying the foundations to start the regeneration of Purfleet-on-Thames.

"We have a long way to go and at times, I know, it won't be easy. However, we as a community have a chance to help make this vision happen, to make Purfleet-on-Thames the place we want it to be."

Yet the shadow of controversy over the project and a fear that the whole package will never be delivered, remains.

One of its biggest critics is MP Jackie Doyle-Price. She has damned the project almost since its inception, fearing a bureaucratic bungle of exceptional proportions.

In 2019 she delivered a broadside against Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited, saying: " "I am as anxious as anyone to see the ambition for Purfleet realised, but the way this has been taken forward to date leads me to have real doubts about the scheme and whether it can really deliver what is promised at appropriate value for money for the taxpayer."

Little since then has appeared to way the MP's view on the scheme and she has been a notable absentee in the recent publicity about the projected benefits of the scheme.

Work that has now started, as well as delivering 61 new homes, includes a new children's play area and an orchard walk.

Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited says it is a project that will: "reinstate public access to Hollow Woods creating a gateway to the wider masterplan by connecting the new neighbourhood to the future new town centre and wider community spaces.

"The 2.36 hectare development has been designed to enhance the green links to Purfleet's Conservation Area so that residents can enjoy the space, with the aim of creating a healthier, more active community.

"The architecture is deliberately in keeping with the woodland setting, reflecting the style of homes in the surrounding conservation area by making use of timber effect and Flint Gabions.

"The initial phase will be a mix of modern two, three and four bedroom homes and over 50% will be available to purchase under the Government's Shared Ownership scheme that aims to make getting on the housing ladder more affordable."

In its wake it is projected PCRL will create another 2,759 new, high-quality homes alongside 'a vibrant town centre with shops, community amenities including a new health centre, improved railway and transport facilities and employment and training opportunities.'

PCRL's regeneration plans also encompass a state-of-the-art media village and entertainment studios.