Purfleet receives Secretary of State approval
6 November 2009
PURFLEET RECEIVES SECRETARY OF STATE APPROVAL
The proposal for the multi-million pound regeneration scheme to
transform the heart of Purfleet in the Thames Gateway was set out
by the Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and
Local Government at the Thames Gateway Forum on Tuesday 3rd
November.
The proposed scheme, covering the whole of the centre of
Purfleet, could see up to an estimated £750 million invested
through a joint public/private sector partnership in a new centre,
with about 3,500 new homes built and 1,141 new jobs created.
Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation will now start
the process of identifying a suitable partner to jointly deliver
the project which would see 59 hectares of contaminated brownfield
land redeveloped to help provide a new community for existing
residents and 5,000 additional people.
Government support for this project means that private
developers are now to be invited to bid for the project. A notice
will be published shortly in the Official Journal of the European
Union (OJEU). This OJEU Notice will kick off the formal procurement
process and it is anticipated that construction work will commence
in approximately two years time.
The proposal will provide a new heart for Purfleet, arranged
around a public square with cafes and shops, a new rail station
development and public transport interchange. The square is
designed to be the heart of the community with a vibrant
atmosphere, where people can feel safe to enjoy its mixture of
shops, cafes, leisure and community facilities, day and
night.
Plans for the transformation of Purfleet include:
• A new centre focused around a public square, surrounded by
cafes, shops and community facilities
• Dedicated commercial and employment areas, away from the
centre, designed to attract more businesses, investment and create
approximately 1,100 new jobs
• New primary school for 630 pupils, with increased playing
fields and a direct route from the public square
• New, larger health and community centre providing a wider
range of healthcare
• New supermarket and retail areas
• Reconfigured rail station and new public transport
interchange
• New and improved routes between areas of Purfleet, enabling
people to move around the village more easily by foot, bicycle and
car
• Segregated routes for industrial lorries and residential
traffic
• Around 3,500 new homes with an appropriate mix of private
and affordable units
• Newly accessible river front and public riverside
space
• Leisure areas including woodland, playing fields and
parks.
For further information please visit www.thurrocktgdc.org.uk.
Commenting on the proposals, Will McKee, Chairman of Thurrock
Thames Gateway Development Corporation said: “Purfleet is a
flagship development for the Corporation and we are delighted that
Government has agreed to support the Project.
“Our overall aim is to improve the quality of life,
opportunities and amenities for the communities which make up
Thurrock. In Purfleet, the community has welcomed our comprehensive
proposals to regenerate and improve their part of the borough and
this major cash injection will allow us to deliver these aims
quickly and effectively.”
Communities Secretary John Denham said: “This scheme would
provide local people in Purfleet with the community facilities
they’ve long wanted and the homes they need. The benefits of the
redevelopment would go way beyond Purfleet and provide a real boost
to the Thames Gateway.
“Now it’s for the private sector to come forward to show what can
be done. I’m confident we’ll get some innovative bids from
developers. We’ll be looking for high quality proposals that are
affordable and deliver value for money for the taxpayer.
“Each year Government invests £3bn in the Gateway in transport,
schools, skills, businesses, health and more, an investment that is
unmatched elsewhere. Our commitment to the Gateway is
unwavering as we know it will play a crucial role within the UK
economy driving growth across the South East and beyond.
“But this regeneration can never be just about new buildings and
infrastructure. It has to be about residents and communities
and ensuring they are the main beneficiaries of these new
opportunities.”
-Ends-
For press enquiries, please contact Lawrence Luketa, Thurrock
Thames Gateway Development Corporation on 01708 899389 or email
lawrence.luketa@thurrocktgdc.org.uk.