News in Thurrock

THURROCK planning officers have thrown out a plan for up to five custom-built dwellings on a rural site near Horndon on the Hill.

The application for outline permission for the five homes was on Malvina Close off Lower Dunton Road but it has been rejected because officers feel the proposal constitutes inappropriate development and would be harmful to the green belt.

A PLANNING application has been submitted to increase the number of 'temporary' school places at the Orsett Heath Academy at Thurrock Rugby Club by 120.

It is hoped to build a new two storey building adjacent to the first school building, which has now been in use since opening in September 2020 to the first cohort of secondary school students.

IN what is believed to be a first for Grays town centre, one of its leading restaurants is to host a stand-up comedy evening next week - starring a much-loved and popular local comic.

It will take place at Feast restaurant at 18 High Street and will feature Thurrock comedian and magician Graeme Matthews, who made his name on Britain's Got Talent where he made the semi-final in 2019.

ANOTHER crash has happened, the second this week, at the junction of Bradleigh Avenue and Lodge Lane in Grays.

It happened around 4.30pm today (Thursday, 17 March) and two vehicles received significant damage after a collision.

THIS week social workers in Thurrock have been joined by councillors and senior managers to mark and celebrate World Social Work Day, which took place on Tuesday, 15 March, through a series of seminars and events.

Today (Thursday, 17 March) social workers came together to launch Thurrock Social Work Academy with members, senior managers and guest speakers including Lyn Romeo – chief social worker adults, Jenny Cole CBE - independent chair/scrutineer Local Safeguarding Children Partnership, and Fran Leddra – former chief social worker adults and former principal social worker for adults in Thurrock, to launch Thurrock Social Work Academy.

FREIGHT services and sailings between Tilbury and Zeebrugge operated by P&O Ferries appear to be unaffected by today's news from the company that it is cutting 800 jobs on its UK services.

That prompted the cancellation of many passenger sailing around the country, including at the Port of Dover where cross channel ferries operated by P&O remain docked at the port and in France.

CAMPAIGNERS concerned about the impact of the planned Lower Thames Crossing have called on the government to review and reconsider the whole scheme in the wake of so many changes to the original concept.

The message was issued after National Highways, the government agency behind the planned route to link north Kent with the M25 via a new Thames Tunnel and a highway ploughed through the heart of Thurrock, announced yet more consultations on the £8.2bn project which has been mired in controversy almost since day one of its conception.

FUNDS donated to Thurrock as part of the government's 'Levelling Up' initiative appear to be funnelled back to businesses that are supporters of the Conservative party who have been hired as consultants by Thurrock's Council.

The authority has been granted more than £150,000 from the England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) which is to be used to help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations.

SHOP staff and businesses on Grays High Street have been told they will now be responsible for keeping up appearances after a team of council engagement officers and volunteers from community groups spent a day sprucving up shop fronts.

As well as cleaning up, engagement officers informed business owners how they can tackle anti-social behaviour. Seventeen businesses agreed to join the operation in advance, including S C Barbers, Poundcity, Lulu Cakes and Feast.

YOUNGSTERS from Treetops School and Treetops Free School spent this morning loading goods for the first stage of a journey that will see it delivered to refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.

Parents, carers and friends of the schools in Grays have been collecting a wide range of much-need items that will firstly be collected as part of the Ukrainian mercy mission being organised by the Morrisons store group and then sent onwards to the Polish border and possibly into Ukraine itself.