The Chancellor has pledged to give £75m from the Housing Infrastructure Funding to support the £1bn regeneration of Purfleet-on-Thames town centre
Purfleet Centre Regeneration Ltd (PCRL) has welcomed chancellor Rishi Sunak’s pledge of £75m to support the £1bn regeneration of Purfleet-on-Thames town centre.
The funding boost will be used to provide crucial infrastructure including replacing the level crossing with a bridge over the railway and a new health centre, river wall, drainage and other important utility infrastructure.
Bid proposals for the redevelopment were submitted in 2018 by Thurrock Council, who is working with development partner PCRL, a joint venture between Swan Housing Association and Urban Catalyst.
Purfleet-on-Thames regeneration programme
The regeneration of Purfleet-on-Thames will deliver a new town centre complete with shops and restaurants. Up to 2,850 new homes will be provided as well, alongside an integrated medical centre, improved transport infrastructure and a new primary school.
The plans also include a 1m sq ft ‘media village’ to support the UK’s TV and film industry. This will help Purfleet-on-Thames on its journey to becoming a leading creativity hub.
Later phases will deliver a new university campus creating a world-class education facility with a focus on health and the creative arts.
The green light was given to the regeneration’s first phase in January, consisting of 61 new high-quality family homes, a children’s play area, and an orchard walk. This phase will reinstate public access to Hollow Woods and will form part of the 2.36-hectare development which has been designed to enhance the green links to Purfleet’s Conservation Area.
Preliminary works are anticipated to start on site this summer.
A real difference to peoples’ lives
Sir Tim Laurence, chairman of PCRL, said: “The chancellor’s pledge of £75m towards key elements of the regeneration of Purfleet-on-Thames, including a bridge over the railway, a new integrated medical centre and other social infrastructure, is a huge vote of confidence.
“It demonstrates that infrastructure investment is not just about the big flagship projects like HS2, it’s also about making a real difference to peoples’ lives here in the Thames Estuary and in other regions of the UK.
“This is a prime example of the government, Local Authority and private sector working together at all levels to unlock the huge growth potential in this fast-developing area.”
