About Thurrock

Thurrock lies on the River Thames just to the East of London. Thurrock comprises 18 miles of riverfront and covers an area of 64 square miles. With Greater London to the West and the river to the South the other borders are formed by the County of Essex to the North and East. Thurrock has a population of about 150,000 people living in 58,000 homes. It includes Purfleet, Belhus and South Ockendon, Grays, Tilbury, Linford, Chadwell St. Mary and the new development of Chafford Hundred. In addition to the traditional riparian industries of docks, shipping and petrol chemical industries. It has one of the UK's largest retail sectors based on the Lakeside Shopping Centre with over 300 shops under one roof. This is one of the largest retail attractions in Europe.

Thurrock is a traditional crossing point of the Thames with the thousand-year-old Tilbury ferry to Gravesend and the modern QE2 Bridge to Dartford.

Since 1945, Labour has held this seat, except between 1987 and 1992.Thurrock Council is a unitary authority (ie. all-purpose.) Access its website and other useful sites through: www.Thurrock-Community.org.uk.

In the past decade, Thurrock has experienced considerable demographic and social change but remains significantly working class, with strong elements of families who moved from London's East End after World War II and considerable migration from Ireland following the construction of Tilbury docks in the 19th century throughout the mid-1960's.

Thurrock has a wide ranging and diverse economy. Much of the population and commercial activity is centred along the riverfront. This includes many large and industrial sites, including oil refineries and manufacturing industries. By way of contrast more than half the borough is Green Belt protected from further development.

Being both on the river and right next to London, Thurrock is served with excellent communications links. The M25 London Orbital Motorway runs through the borough and in addition to smaller roads, a local railway line providing direct access to Central London and the City of London, Thurrock is an ideal place for commuting to and from.

The town of Tilbury is home to one of the Port of London's major operations. Port of Tilbury is in fact one of the busiest ports in the entire country. Additional ports and deep wharves mean that the River Thames is an important commercial highway in Thurrock.

Despite so much of the borough being environmentally protected Green Belt land, Thurrock also provides great opportunities for further industrial and commercial development. The borough is a major part of the Thames Gateway area, a corridor of opportunity that has been identified by central government as the area with greatest development and commercial potential in the country. The high speed rail links leading to the Channel Tunnel and the commercial opportunities of London will also be coming straight through Thurrock.

Given the superb location and communications links coupled with excellent modern housing and ancient villages, Thurrock is a fantastic place to work and live.

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