Thurrock
Encyclopedia : T : TH : THU : Thurrock
| Borough of Thurrock | |
|---|---|
| |
| Geography | |
| Status: | Unitary, Borough |
| Region: | East of England |
| Ceremonial County: | Essex |
| Area: - Total | Ranked 203rd 163.38 km² |
| Admin. HQ: | Grays |
| ONS code: | 00KG |
| Demographics | |
| Population: - Total (2004 est.) - Density | Ranked {{English district rank / km² |
| Ethnicity: | 95.3% White 2.0% S.Asian 1.2% Afro-Carib. |
| Politics | |
 Thurrock Council http://www.thurrock.gov.uk/ | |
| Leadership: | Leader & Cabinet |
| Executive: | |
| MPs: | Andrew Mackinlay, Angela Smith |
Thurrock used to be a district within Essex but was given administrative independence on April 1, 1998 by The Essex (Boroughs of Colchester, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock and District of Tendring) (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996. It remains part of Essex for ceremonial purposes such as Lord-Lieutenancy.
With a population of 145,689 people living in 58,485 homes, 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 important industrial sites, including two large oil refineries and manufacturing industries, Thurrock is also home to the Lakeside Shopping Centre. With over 300 shops under one roof, this is one of the largest retail centres in Europe.
Despite so much of the borough being protected Green Belt land, Thurrock provides localised opportunities for further industrial and commercial development. The borough forms part of the Thames Gateway regeneration area, a corridor of opportunity that has been identified by central government as the area with greatest development and commercial potential in the country. A Thurrock Development Corporation was recently set up and took over much of the borough's planning functions in 2005.
Being both on the river and right next to London, Thurrock is served with good communication links. The M25 London Orbital Motorway, the local railway line providing direct access to Central London and, before long, Stratford International Station, the Port of Tilbury and the nearby London City Airport make Thurrock an important international trade centre. There is a grass airstrip south of Bulphan village. A ferry for passengers on foot connects Tilbury with Gravesend on the southern bank of the River Thames.
The borough has a number of settlements including:
- Aveley
- Bulphan
- Chadwell St Mary
- Chafford Hundred
- Corringham
- Fobbing
- Grays
- Horndon-on-the-Hill
- Purfleet
- South Ockendon
- Stanford-le-Hope
- Tilbury
- West Thurrock
Statistical overview of Thurrock
Size of Thurrock 165.7 km² (64 miles²)
Riverside frontage 30 kilometres (18 miles)
Size of population:
1991 Census - 127,819
1998 estimate - 134,962
2001 Census - 143,128
2004 estimate - 145,689
Total households 58,485
Main town Grays (population 1991 - 36,181)
Industrial Land availability 2 km²
Extent of Green Belt coverage 60% of Borough
Conservation areas 7
Listed buildings 239
Sites of Special Scientific Interest 10
History
Mammoths once grazed in the Thurrock area, and archaeologists recently unearthed the remains of a jungle cat.
Man has been in the area since prehistoric times, and the land has been farmed by the Romans and Anglo-Saxons.
The area's wealth in the 1400s is shown in the splendid wool market at Horndon. Tilbury's position meant it was important in the defence of London, and Henry VIII built two forts there following the end of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Later, Elizabeth I addressed her troops there as the Spanish Armada sailed up the English Channel. The importance of the forts continued through Napoleonic times and into the two world wars. Thurrock includes the Bata village, built for workers of the shoe company in 1933. Eight homes and the factory are listed.
Thurrock was in created in 1974 from the former area of Thurrock Urban District. The Local Government Act 1972 left the boundaries mostly untouched, although part of it, in Basildon New Town, was ceded to the Basildon district and the district gained borough status. [link]
Economy
This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Thurrock at current basic prices [published] (pp.240-253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.| Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 1,406 | 8 | 657 | 741 |
| 2000 | 1,737 | 4 | 677 | 1,056 |
| 2003 | 1,995 | 5 | 664 | 1,327 |
Note 1: includes hunting and forestry
Note 2: includes energy and construction
Note 3: includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured
Note 4: Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
Attractions
There are two multiplex cinemas attached to the Lakeside Shopping Centre, and the Thameside Theatre in Grays. Live shows are held at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet. Open space includes Langdon Hills Country Park and Grove House Wood, managed by Essex Wildlife Trust. Museums and historic buildings include Coalhouse Fort at Tilbury, Tilbury Fort, Purfleet Heritage and Military Centre, Thurrock Museum and Walton Hall Farm Museum.
Thurrock had been the scene of several major films. St Clement's Church at West Thurrock was used in the making of the film Four Weddings and a Funeral. Some dock scenes from the movies Alfie (2004) and Batman Begins (2005) were filmed in Tilbury. Some filming also took place for the film Essex Boys from Grays. The cinema where Eddie met Roger in the classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit can be found in Grays.The novelist, Molly Cutpurse lives here.
External links
| Districts of the East of England |
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Counties with multiple districts: Bedfordshire - Cambridgeshire - Essex - Hertfordshire - Norfolk - Suffolk |
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