Thames Gateway and the Olympics

Case study: West Thurrock: Health and Community Centre and Primary School

New public services in West Thurrock.

Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation (TTGDC) recently acquired a site at Wouldham road, a strategically Interior of Lakeside located site on the northern banks of the Thames, with the potential to be transformed into a landmark sustainable community. This site is critical for the provision of affordable homes in the borough.

West Thurrock is also home to the Lakeside shopping centre, which was opened in 1990 and covers three floors and an area of 132,297 sq m. The shopping centre is a key employment centre with the potential to expand in the future, creating more employment opportunities within the borough.

The area of West Thurrock and the Lakeside Basin is currently an established regional retail and leisure destination which, with further expansion, will provide 5,000 new jobs by 2016. Proposals for expansion include a broader leisure offer, residential development and social infrastructure.

Plans are now being drawn up to establish a joint venture for the site north of the Lakeside Shopping Centre, locally known as Arena Essex - now the Essex Gateway - this side is expected to accommodate around 6,000 new homes.

West Thurrock Health and Community Centre

St Clement's Health and Community Centre was completed in 2005 and combines a community centre, the Play2Learn Nursery and a GPs surgery. This project, which involved building and fitting out this integrated facility, was delivered in partnership between the PCT, St. Clement's Church, Thurrock Council and Communities and Local Government, the Thurrock Healthy Living Centre Partnership also making a contribution, from its lottery grant, to the construction. Co-location of these services enables the delivery of joined up local community services.

West Thurrock Primary School

The new school is at the heart of current proposals to regenerate the Schoolfield Road area of West Thurrock. Development proposals have come in to redevelop this area, build a new two form entry primary school and over 300 dwellings. The developer has now obtained options on most of the sites involved.