Policy information sourced from Thurrock Core Strategy and Policies for Management of Development

CSTP7 – NETWORK OF CENTRES

New Lakeside Regional Centre: Consistent with emerging Policy ETG2, the Council supports the transformation of the northern part of the Lakeside Basin into a new regional centre. This will be achieved in policy through a detailed chapter and inset plan within the Site Specific Allocations and Policies DPD and the Lakeside Implementation and Delivery SPD. The Site Specific Allocations and Policies DPD will also include the Regional Town Centre boundary which will be identified on the Proposals Map. Expansion at the new Lakeside regional centre will include the following:

  • Up to 50,000 sqm of net comparison floorspace (by 2019);
  • At least 4,000 sqm of net convenience floorspace;
  • Up to 3,000 new dwellings; subject to review and the Site Specific Allocations and Policies DPD.
  • Employment and other services floorspace to broaden the employment base;
  • Commercial leisure floorspace, including food and drink uses, consistent with the function of a regional centre.

Grays Town Centre: the Council supports the regeneration of Grays town centre. It will become the focus for cultural, administrative and educational functions, whilst providing retail development that is complementary to the Lakeside Basin. Development should be of an appropriate scale and should be well integrated with the existing centre. Development in Grays town centre will include the following:

  • Up to 5,500-6,500 sqm of net comparison floorspace by 2026;
  • Up to 4,000-5,000 sqm of net bulky durable floorspace by 2026;
  • Between 1,500-2,000 sqm of net convenience floorspace by 2026;
  • Other cultural, administrative and education developments consistent with the spatial vision for Grays.

Existing Local Centres: Corringham, Stanford-le-Hope, South Ockendon, Tilbury, Aveley, Socketts Heath are designated as local centres. The Council encourages the following development for local centres:

  • Renewal, upgrading or remodelling of existing floorspace;
  • Additional small scale retail floorspace space in suitable locations that will strengthen the centres’ retail offer;
  • Investigation into the potential of a new supermarket on an appropriate site in Stanford-le-Hope to reduce convenience expenditure leakage from the east of the Borough.

New Centres: A new local centre is designated at Purfleet. Two new neighbourhood centres are designated at West Thurrock and South Stifford and will be developed in conjunction with major residential development. The Council encourages the following development for these new local centres:

  • In Purfleet, a new food store of between 1,500-2,000 sqm (net) convenience retail floorspace and complementary floorspace;
  • In all new local centres, an appropriate mix of day to day services will be provided to accommodate the needs of the residential development.

Existing Neighbourhood Centres: Larger neighbourhood parades are identified at Chadwell St Mary, Stifford Clays, East Tilbury, Corringham, Grays, Little Thurrock, Chafford Hundred, Tilbury. Smaller neighbourhood parades are identified at South Ockendon, Aveley, Grays, Tilbury, Linford, Stanford-le-Hope, Corringham, Purfleet. The Council encourages the following for neighbourhood centres:

  • Maintain existing retail function, with changes of use to groundfloor retail units to non-retail use permitted where it can be shown there is no long-term demand for retail use of the unit or where there is a particular community need that would be met by the change of use.

Key Diagrams and Maps

Key Diagram – existing and new centres.

The Regional Centre Boundary will be identified in the Adopted Site Specific Allocations and Policies DPD and on the Proposals Map. Existing centres are shown on the Proposals Map. New centres and sites will be included in the Site Specific Allocations and Policies DPD and identified on the Proposals Map.

For more information please see the Core Strategy and Policies for Management of Development