News in Thurrock

TORY Stephen Metcalfe romped to a huge victory in South Basildon and East Thurrock.

He had a massive majority of just short of 20,000 votes.

SPECULATION at Purfleet's Backstage Centre is that Conservative Jackie Doyle-Price could have a majority of around 11,000 - after winning the seat in 2017 by just 345 votes.

Labour, who fielded local candidate John Kent again, believe their share of the vote has held up, but with no Brexit candidate in the ward the 10,112 votes polled by UKIP's Tim Aker two years ago appear to have all migrated to the Tories.

ON the brink of confirmation of her expected success in the Thurrock election, Tory Jackie Doyle-Price has paid tribute to her team of supporters.

A high turn out of 59.39 per cent is predicted to translate into a significant increase in Ms Doyle-Price's majority as she wins in the borough for a fourth time.

THINGS are relatively subdued at the Thurrock and South Basildon & East Thurrock election counts where early predictions are for comfortable wins for Tories Jackie Doyle-Price and Stephen Metcalfe.

There is a distinct lack of tension at the counts.

AN innovative community scheme has been set up at a local park, not only creating a job for a young person but returning broken or unwanted cycles into use.

The Friends of Hardie Park on Hardie Road in Stanford-le-Hope have launched the 'Old Spokes Home' at the park.

BOROUGH residents and visitors are expected to flock to the banks of the Thames in the west of the borough on Sunday (15 December) when a riverside landmark will be demolished.

The final part of the River Thames' last standing power station, Littlebrook Power Station, will be brought down at 8am.

COLLEGE authorities have acted to improve signage warning people to stay off an open space in Aveley.

The land adjacent to Love Lane was formally home to a secondary school before it was demolished has been owned by South Essex College for many years.

FUNDRAISING efforts and support for a children's hospice by staff and businesses at intu Lakeside regional shopping centre in West Thurrock has resulted in an early Christmas present.

At the start of the year, intu Lakeside partnered with Little Havens Hospice, a charity that provides respite and end of life care for children and young people across Essex and have life-limiting conditions.

THURROCK Council's chief executive Lyn Carpenter has paid tribute to her staff after concluding the 'Give a Gift' Christmas collection.

And she has invited other authorities to follow Thurrock's caring example.

A PLANNING application that has been under development for more than a year - and would see a recycling plant built on an industrial park which has been the centre of much local controversy - is going out for public consultation.

Thurrock Council has this week advertised the plans put forward by Lowes Metal & Recycling for the use of land for the purpose of metal recycling on part of Stanhope Industrial Park.