News

Mayor and Leader share tribute following the death of Luke Mackenzie, Mayor of Basildon

15 March 2024
Thurrock Council Mayor, Cllr Sue Little, and Leader, Cllr Andrew Jefferies, have paid tribute to Mayor of Basildon, Luke Mackenzie, who has tragically passed away.
In a joint statement they said:
"We are deeply saddened to learn of Luke's passing and our thoughts go out to his family at this difficult time.
"Luke was a real friend and a dedicated public servant who worked hard to serve the people of Basildon and the county of Essex. His loss will be felt acutely across Basildon and neighbouring councils.

Legal proceedings confirmed

14 March 2024
Thurrock Council can confirm that proceedings have been issued in the High Court against Liam Kavanagh. We are advised not to say more at this stage but will provide further information when we are able to do so.
Find out more about the council’s intervention and improvement.

Local Development Order will pave way for London Gateway Logistics Park investment

6 March 2024
A new Local Development Order (LDO) will help unlock growth by clearing the way for the development of the London Gateway Logistics Park.
Local Development Order 1.5 replaces the original LDO, which was granted in 2013. The original order granted permission up to 829,700 square metres of commercial floorspace. It expired in November 2013 with 337,225 square metres of floorspace having been completed or consented on site.

Secondary school places for September 2024

1 March 2024
Over three-quarters of pupils who are expected to begin secondary school in Thurrock this September have been offered their top school choice.
Results announced today (Friday 1 March), revealed that 77.7% of students will be able to attend their most preferred school, with 91.1% of children being allocated one of their top 3 preferences.
This is a welcomed increase of 3.5% more students being allocated a space in one of their top 3 preference schools in comparison to the year before, despite 2,522 applications.

Council Tax 2024/25

29 February 2024
Budget Council has approved a Council Tax increase of 5.99% plus a 2% adult social care precept, a total increase of 7.99%.
Cllr Andrew Jefferies, Leader of Thurrock Council, said: "This decision will help Thurrock Council continue to ensure that funding is available for vital services, while the council continues on its journey to financial recovery.

Toucan proceeds will pay down over half a billion pounds of debt

21 February 2024
Thurrock Council has received just over £510m in payments following the sale of Toucan Energy Holdings, which the council will use to pay down debt.
Cllr Andrew Jefferies, Leader of Thurrock Council, said: "This not only allows us to pay down a significant amount of debt, and reduces the borrowing costs associated with that debt, it also provides further clarity to our financial position as we continue to work towards Thurrock Council's financial recovery.

Enrol for new courses starting at Thurrock Adult Community College

15 February 2024
Thurrock Adult Community College (TACC) is now enrolling for new courses starting after the February half-term, having recently moved to its new location at The Old Court House, Orsett Road, Grays.
There's a wide variety of courses available to help you learn new skills, find employment or progress in a current role.
Courses on offer include:
childcare
teaching assistants
bookkeeping
health and social care
There are also courses to help with English, maths and digital skills.

Thurrock Council Tax proposals

12 February 2024
Councillors will discuss proposals for the borough's Council Tax to increase by 5.99%, plus a 2% adult social care precept when Extraordinary Corporate Overview and Scrutiny meet on Wednesday 14 February.
These are proposals at this stage, for debate at meetings running up to Budget Council at the end of the month when the council budget for the year is due to be set.

Transport Safety Officers launched

12 February 2024
This week sees the launch of new Transport Safety Officers across public transport in Essex, Thurrock and Southend.
This pilot scheme, developed in collaboration between Thurrock Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council, and councils under Essex County Council, has received funding from Department for Transport (DfT), totalling £490,000.

Sign-up for Thurrock News – our monthly email newsletter.

Media enquiries

Journalists and media professionals can make enquiries from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, 01375 652 017 or at [email protected].

For emergency media enquiries outside of these times, phone 07912 782 470.

The communications team email inbox is not monitored outside of office hours, so email media enquiries received out-of-hours may not be answered until the next working weekday.

We advise our staff, when approached directly by a member of the media, not to answer questions themselves but to refer you to the communications team who will provide our response.

We do not normally comment on individual cases or enquiries relating to council staff.