Purfleet’s £1 billion regeneration advances

Today it has been announced that Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited (“PCRL”) have, following extensive consultation and with the support of the local community in Purfleet, submitted an application for outline planning permission for their £1 billion regeneration scheme for Purfleet ahead of schedule.

The application makes the scale of this regeneration clear – when completed Purfleet will have a new town centre with retail and leisure facilities, an upgraded rail station, an Integrated Medical Centre, new educational institutions and one million square feet of film and TV studios, delivered by Quartermaster Holdings, in addition to around 2,800 new homes and great public spaces for residents to enjoy.

Priorities in the early stages of the development will be a bridge over the railway line to replace the level crossing, new road connections, additional school places, an Integrated Medical Centre, a children’s play area, improvements to the riverfront walkway, as well as new shops, cafés, restaurants and homes.

PCRL was set up to deliver this exciting regeneration project with Urban Catalyst as Development Managers. Recently it was announced that Swan Housing Association had become a partner in PCRL and, together with Urban Catalyst, have been working to accelerate the delivery of this much anticipated regeneration.

Sir Tim Laurence, Chair of PCRL stated:

“We are delighted to have now submitted our outline planning application to Thurrock Council. The plans documented in this application are the result of many years of work and have been shaped by our discussions with the local community, local stakeholders and industry experts. This regeneration represents a unique opportunity for us to help the local community transform Purfleet. We will bring many new opportunities to the area building on the Town’s history, it’s waterfront location and its existing cultural expertise. We are confident that these plans, if approved, will not only transform Purfleet but will ensure Thurrock’s role as a key part of the Thames Gateway region. We aim to deliver a brighter future for everyone living and working in the Borough. We would like to thank everyone who has supported our scheme and would urge those who want to see a new future for Purfleet to let Thurrock Council know through the planning process!”

Katya Baker, Founder and MD of Quartermaster Holdings commented: 

“It is a great privilege to be working with award winning consultants and indeed PCRL in making Purfleet a place of excellence. Quartermaster Holdings together with PCRL will be delivering significant new film and TV capacity with extensive post production facilities. It will be built from the ground up, by industry, for industry to create one of the UK’s largest and leading media facilities to help address the growing crisis of the lack of studio capacity in the UK. Combined with the existing High House Production Park, Purfleet is in the heart of The Thames Estuary Production Corridor, a new initiative by the Mayor of London and SELEP backing the UK’s ever vibrant and growing creative industry.”

John Rowles, Chair of The Purfleet Community Forum & Design Panel stated:

“The Purfleet Community Forum and the Purfleet Design Panel have supported this project from the start. Together with PCRL, we have involved not only the grownups but the youngsters as well and over the last 18 months we have guided PCRL, told them what we want and helped them design a town out of a very tired village that was all but forgotten. We will continue this work until the job is done.

“This Planning Application is the start of making Purfleet place where people will want to come and will want to stay to make it their home. A place that we are all proud of, a place to which we can point and say, that was our idea!”