News in Thurrock

TWO opportunities have been created to join the team at the Royal Opera House's Bob and Tamar Manoukian Production Workshop at Purfleet.

One is to take on the position of Assistant Manager Scenic Carpentry (Workshop Supervisor), while the other is to be a Scenic Metalwork Technician.

WORK has continued this week on the creation of a new mobile home site on land that has been illegally developed between Tilbury and Chadwell St Mary.

Excavations began on the site adjacent to Sandy Lane off Biggin Lane last Thursday (7 January) and when Thurrock Council planning enforcement staff arrived at the scene the following day they were warned off by 'hostile forces'.

WORK is expected to start on building 153 homes on a green belt site in Stanford-le-Hope in the autumn.

The date has been set by modular housing firm ilke Homes which plans to offer the homes on the 15-acre site off Victoria Road for shared ownership or affordable rent.

AS hospitals in the region continue to battle on under extreme pressure, one of the region's leading administrators has refuted reports that operating theatres are being converted into intensive care units to treat critically ill Covid-19 patients.

As recently reported, major changes have been made to hospitals operated by the Mid and South Essex Trust as they adapt to the pressure on beds. This has included the cancellation of non essential operations.

TWO drivers emerged without serious injury from a horrific-looking crash on the A13 late last night. The road was closed for some time while the car occupants were treated and the cr4ash cleared away.

The incident happened near Orsett and after the incident police have spoken of the benefits of wearing seat-belts, which in this case were possibly life-savers.

AN injection of £75 million has been pumped into regeneration plans for Purfleet-on-Thames and will be used to create the infrastructure required to support plans for 2,850 new homes in the town.

The cash has been secured from the Housing Infrastructure Fund which is supporting the £1 billion overall regeneration project for Purfleet that includes a new town centre, rail station and media village alongside health and educational facilities

THURROCK Council has issued a warning to residents and drivers ahead of a cold snap this evening (Tuesday, 12 January).

It says: "Cold temperatures are once again expected this evening and our gritters will be out across routes in Thurrock from 5pm tonight.

A TYPHOON het fighter passing over Thurrock appears the most likely cause of a large bang, likened to the sound of an explosion, that was heard in Grays and further afield in the borough this afternoon (Tuesday, 12 January).

Residents in the Stifford Clays area were among those reporting hearing the large noise around 1.10pm, with several calls made to Thurrock Nub News asking if we knew the cause. Later calls and messages came in from Tilbury and Stanford-le-Hope.

FOR the second time in a few days Thurrock Council planning officers have ruled out the conversion of offices and shops to new homes.

Last year Thurrock Nub News reported on two attempts to convert premises in Grays and Corringham into flats.

THURROCK has been highlighted as an area of possible discrimination in the award of blue badge parking passes but the local council says it is doing its utmost to ensure fairness.

While far from among the worst offenders highlighted in a new survey by the BBC's Local Democracy Reporting Service, Thurrock has been shown to give out almost 25 per cent less blue badges to those people designated with non-visible disabilities and those of people with physical disabilities.