Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation Background Information

Europe/ UK/ East of England/ Essex/ Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation

Key Competitive Attractions

Thurrock sits on the river Thames, just east of London. It is at the centre of the fast-developing Thames Gateway area and is about a 30-minute train journey from central London.

Thurrock's 64 square miles, including over 18 miles of riverside stretching along the Thames Estuary, is connected by trade to London and Europe.

Thurrock is a bustling, hardworking place and its heritage has given it a strong entrepreneurial spirit. It has always served London, through transporting goods and people down the River Thames to the sea. The local people welcome growth and enterprise, so it is an excellent place to grow a business. Close to London, Thurrock offers ideal riverside and other sites for business and industry, with plenty of room to grow.

Assistance and Support For New Business Investors

Our vision is as much about skills as buildings. By working with local colleges, we make sure that every major project in our strategy is linked to training and future employment needs.

We aim to make Thurrock a place where people want to live long-term. A variety of transport links from cycle paths to innovative transport systems bring homes, green spaces and work places together.

We ensure our plans are workable and will deliver the best possible outcome for the Borough, by working closely with Thurrock council and other local organsiations.

We make things happen and remove roadblocks to future growth. We're committed to making Thurrock heard and fight to keep important hubs like Tilbury Port competitive in the UK and the world.

We are currently focusing on five key hubs:

Redeveloping Grays into a modern urban centre, with a new Further Education college and community hospital.
The £85 million public-private project for the transformation of Purfleet centre.
Reshaping Tilbury around the expanded, world-class competitive port.
Developing Lakeside into a retail and leisure destination.
Driving forward the new London Gateway deep-sea container port.

Existing Business Base

Thurrock's unique business opportunity at the heart of the Thames Gateway offers wide open spaces and prime riverside, half an hour from central London. The local economy is central to the future of both the Thames Gateway and the whole of the UK.

With the Olympics coming up, the new Royal Opera House Production Park, the huge potential of Lakeside and the massive capital investment in London Gateway port, there are numerous reasons for business to come to Thurrock.

Thurrock's well-established industrial base with large manufacturers and energy companies is due in no small part to its great location by major ports, London and the densely populated South East - many of the UK`s household goods are distributed from here. Thurrock is home to domestic brands such as Fairy Liquid, from manufacturers like Procter & Gamble and Unilever. River terminals also make it a natural choice for major energy companies like Esso and Petroplus.

Thurrock`s position as a hub for manufacturing and logistics is increasingly critical, due to its growing population and economy as well as major developments like the new London Gateway port in East Thurrock and planned expansion at the existing Port of Tilbury. In response, we are investing not just in jobs but in learning. Plans include developing a new logistics academy at London Gateway that will give local companies the opportunity to train and add value to their business.