Our first online Community Engagement Event, 23rd June 2020
On Tuesday 23rd June we hosted our first online Community Engagement Event. Thank you to all those who joined and participated. If you were unable to attend the event, please find the presentation available to download below. To give your feedback on the three minor amendments which will be outlined as part of our Section 73 Application (to be made in August 2020), please fill out our feedback form here.
Purfleet-on-Thames Newsletter, Issue 04, Summer 2020
Read the latest Our Purfleet community newsletter, with updates on Phase 1 of the regeneration project, a scheme overview, how to get involved with the Community Design Panel and more.
Join us on Tuesday 23 June 2020, 5:30-7pm, for an Online Community Engagement Event
Join us on Tuesday 23 June 2020, 5:30-7pm, for an Online Community Engagement Event. Watch a live presentation from PCRL, with guest speakers including AHMM (the architects working on the project), Thurrock Council's planning department and Kinetika (who are helping on the creative side of the scheme and have an exciting announcement to make).
Purfleet-on-Thames Creative Competition
Calling all under 18s – Purfleet-on-Thames Creative Competition
Win one of two brand new laptops!
Young people aged 5 to 18 years living in Purfleet-on-Thames have the chance to win one of two brand new laptops in a competition being run by Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited (PCRL) - the development consortium leading the £1bn regeneration of the town.
Titled ‘There’s no place like Purfleet-on-Thames’, the competition asks Purfleet’s younger residents to demonstrate what they like most about living in the area with a photograph, poem, comic strip or other creative method.
To enter the competition, participants must share their submission to PCRL’s ‘Our Purfleet’ social media channels (Facebook, Twitter or Instagram) or alternatively submit their entry via email to garrett@ourpurfleet.com by the closing date of Monday 20 July 2020.
As prizes, there are two brand new laptops up for grabs, which will be awarded to the chosen winner of each category - entrants aged between 5-12 and those aged 13-18 years old. For younger residents without social media accounts, parents and guardians are encouraged to send in entries on their behalf.
The competition closes at 5pm on Monday 20 July 2020 and the winners will be announced on the OurPurfleet.com website and social media channels on Friday 24 July. The two winners will be chosen anonymously by a judging panel made up of PCRL Chairman, Sir Tim Laurence and Chief Officer and Co-founder of St Stephen’s Trust, Tracey Luck.
Terms and Conditions apply:
Upcoming site surveys, Church Hollow
Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited (PCRL) will be conducting site surveys, including ecological studies, in the area of Harlow Cottage and Hollow Woods, Church Hollow on various dates from 11 June until 1 July (2020).
This work is taking place as part the £1bn regeneration of Purfleet-on-Thames that will transform the town centre and riverfront, with upgraded transport links sitting alongside new homes, social infrastructure and a 1m sq. ft. creative complex.
Most of the works will take place during normal working hours (8am-6pm), with a small number of observation studies happening at dawn and dusk. All the works will be in line with Coronavirus (COVID-19) safe working practices. There will be limited noise or disruption from the work.
If you have any questions about the works, please get in touch with Andrew Joyce. Email ajoyce@swan.org.uk or telephone 07719 964161.
You can find out more about the regeneration scheme at www.OurPurfleet.com
New images of £1bn Purfleet-on-Thames regeneration revealed
New images have been released showing how the £1bn regeneration of Purfleet-on-Thames will transform the town centre and riverfront, with upgraded transport links sitting alongside new homes, social infrastructure and a 1m sq. ft. creative complex.
Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited (PCRL), a joint venture between mixed-use developer Urban Catalyst and Swan Housing Association, is driving the regeneration of Purfleet-on-Thames town centre in collaboration with Thurrock Council.
The illustrations released today have been created by award-winning architects AHMM, who are working on the overall masterplan, with drMM, that was originally put together by KSS and aLL Design.
The new images show indicative plans for the new train station, which will be overhauled as part of the regeneration, and the entrances to the new 1,000,000 sq. ft. media village, which will include TV studios where live shows can be filmed in front of a public audience. The renditions also show some of the thousands of homes that will be built.
Once completed, the £1bn regeneration 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, approved in April last year, also include a 1m sq. ft. ‘media village’ to support the UK’s booming TV and film industry. This will help Purfleet-on-Thames on its journey to becoming a leading creative hub, with the town already home to High House Production Park and Royal Opera House production workshop.
Later phases could include the delivery of a new Higher Education/Further Education campus, creating a groundbreaking education facility with a focus on key sectors, such as the creative arts and health or logistics.
Last month, the government announced it was pledging £75m to support the redevelopment as part of the Housing Infrastructure Fund. The funding will be used to provide vital infrastructure and plans could include replacing the level crossing with a bridge over the railway and a new health centre, river wall, drainage and other important utility infrastructure.
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 later in 2020.
Urban Catalyst specialises in social infrastructure and complex mixed-use urban regeneration projects. Set up by industry veteran Ken Dytor of Urban Catalyst, the firm behind a string of successful projects, including the Bermondsey Square development in London, which delivered new retail, hotel and offices alongside performing arts space and art house cinema.
Swan Housing Association is one of the largest housing providers in Essex and East London, with over 11,000 homes under management and a further 8,500 homes in the pipeline, including the 2,850 planned for Purfleet-on-Thames.
Sir Tim Laurence, chairman of PCRL, said: “These latest images show the scale of our ambition for Purfleet-on-Thames, from transforming the riverfront to upgrading the train station and delivering thousands of homes. This is on top of a new school and integrated medical centre for local residents as well as a media village that will see the town emerge as a leading creative hub capable of supporting Britain’s booming film and TV industry.”
Coronavirus (COVID-19) – our response
We know that this is a worrying and uncertain time for everyone. We wanted to reassure you that at PRCL the safety and wellbeing of our staff and contractors and of the residents of Purfleet is our priority. We have been working very hard to create the right responses to what is clearly a fast-moving situation and we have followed government advice on this issue to date and will continue to do so.
In line with Government advice our team are continuing to work on the regeneration of Purfleet from home using technology to make sure we keep the project, which we know is important to the community of Purfleet, moving forward. You will understand that the current restrictions mean that we will need to delay face to face activity for the time being. However, we will reschedule this activity as soon as we are able to do so.
In the meanwhile, as well as working virtually on the project we are, with the support of Thurrock Council, intending to continue with the site investigation activity at the Purfleet regeneration site. This is on the basis that this work will only proceed if our consultants and contractors are satisfied that their teams can continue to deliver this work in a way which complies with Government guidance and health and safety guidelines. However, this will be kept under review in light of further advice from the Government and will be amended as necessary to ensure the health and safety of all involved.
The whole team here at PCRL send you our support and look forward to meeting you again very soon but in the meantime we are always at the end of a phone or email.
Purfleet-on-Thames Newsletter, Issue 03, Spring 2020
Read the latest Our Purfleet community newsletter, with updates on Phase 1 of the regeneration project, a scheme overview, how to get involved with the Community Design Panel and more.
JV behind £1bn Purfleet-on-Thames regeneration welcomes £75 million government funding boost
• Chancellor announces £75m of funding for Purfleet-on-Thames regeneration
• Housing Infrastructure Fund is designed to support key regions across the country
• Purfleet-on-Thames will soon be home to world-class creative hub as well as 2,850 new homes
Purfleet Centre Regeneration Ltd (PCRL) has welcomed the Chancellor’s pledge for £75m of Housing Infrastructure Funding to support the £1bn regeneration of Purfleet-on-Thames town centre, which will help transform the Essex town into a world class creative hub.
The funding will be used to provide vital 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 are working with development partner PCRL, a joint venture between Swan Housing Association and mixed-use regeneration and social infrastructure specialists Urban Catalyst.
Together, the two organisations are creating a vibrant new riverside community in Purfleet-on-Thames.
Once completed, the £1bn regeneration 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, approved in April last year, also include a 1m sq. ft. ‘media village’ to support the UK’s booming TV and film industry. This will help Purfleet-on-Thames on its journey to becoming a leading creative hub, already being home to High House Production Park and Royal Opera House production workshop.
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.
Urban Catalyst specialises in social infrastructure and complex mixed-use urban regeneration projects. Set up by industry veteran Ken Dytor, the firm is behind a string of successful projects, including the Bermondsey Square development in London, which delivered new retail, hotel and offices alongside performing arts space and art house cinema.
Swan Housing Association is one of the largest housing providers in Essex and East London, with over 11,000 homes under management and a further 8,500 homes in the pipeline, including the 2,850 planned for Purfleet-on-Thames.
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 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.”
.jpg "Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited given green light for 61 new high-quality family homes in Purfleet")
Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited given green light for 61 new high-quality family homes in Purfleet
Planning permission was granted for 61 high-quality family homes close to the train station in Purfleet at Thursday night’s (9 January 2020) Planning Committee of Thurrock Council. These new homes mark the first phase the £1 billion regeneration of the town centre and will create a gateway to the wider masterplan, connecting existing Purfleet with the new development and ensuring the whole community benefits.
The project is being delivered by joint venture partners, Swan Housing Association and Urban Catalyst, which together form Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited (PCRL).
Phase one, which will consist of a mix of spacious two, three and four bedroom homes, is close to the railway station, with access to both the town centre and wider community spaces. Up to 30% of the homes will be available to purchase under the Government’s Shared Ownership scheme, which aims to make getting on the housing ladder more affordable. Work on the 61 homes is due to commence in spring/summer 2020.
This phase will also include a children’s play area, orchard walk and 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.
A minimum of 94 parking spaces - equating to 1.5 spaces per household - will also be provided, while much of the existing woodland will be retained so residents can enjoy the green space with the aim of creating a healthier, more active community.
Architecture is also deliberately in keeping with the woodland setting, reflecting the style of homes in the surrounding Conservation Area by making use of timber effect and Flint Gabions.
These new homes form part of the £1 billion planned regeneration of the town centre that will see PCRL, with local partner Thurrock Council, create a vibrant centre with shops, community amenities including a new health centre, improved railways and transport facilities, housing and job opportunities.
PCRL’s ambitious regeneration plans also encompass a state-of-the-art media village and entertainment studios, with the vison for Purfleet, which is already home to the High House Production Park, to become an international creative hub within the Thames Gateway.
Outline planning permission for the £1billion masterplan was granted by Thurrock Council in April last year.
Sir Tim Laurence, Chairman of PCRL, said:
“We are excited to commence this project, which will form part of the wider regeneration of Purfleet, creating a vibrant place for people to live, work, learn, socialise and invest, and which is in harmony with its natural surroundings.
“The first phase is an opportunity to demonstrate PCRL’s commitment to realising our ambitious plans and to repaying the trust that the local community have placed in us.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with local residents - who have provided vital local knowledge and support in the development of our masterplan - to create a thriving Purfleet for everyone.”
Purfleet Demolition
The Council in partnership with development partner PCRL are committed to move forward with ambitious plans to regenerate the centre of Purfleet.
Part of these plans include the removal of empty / unused properties in Council ownership to make way for much needed new homes and road infrastructure.
In order to do this, you may have noticed that we have recently demolished a number of empty and vandalised houses in Purfleet, specifically number 1 to 11 Botany Cottages situated along London Road, close to the Purfleet train station. We are pleased to tell you that further demolitions of numbers 1 to 4 Railway Cottage will be completed over the next few weeks.
Safety during demolition is important, so hoarding of the site has already began.
As we move forward with our regeneration plans, the Council in partnership with PCRL want to work with the community and keep you informed every step of the way. We will update this section of the OurPurfleet.com website as and when we can.
Topographical survey of the Phase 1A area
We are currently undertaking a topographical survey of the Phase 1A area and wanted to let you know the intended dates for the work. We have some initial vegetation clearance work to do, which has been agreed with the Council and will follow the routes that were cleared previously through the woods.
As a result no large trees will be cut down (with the focus on removing bramble, etc) so the work does not require planning permission. Once this is complete the survey work will start on the following dates:
• Vegetation clearance will be on site Friday 11 October for four to five days (excluding weekend)
• Topographical survey will be on site Wednesday 16 October for eight days
Thank you to everyone who visited us on the stand at the Orsett Show
Thank you to everyone who visited us on the stand at the Orsett Show. There were a huge amount of visitors to the event- around 12,000!
The team had a fantastic time at the Orsett Show meeting lots of different people, and we gave out well over 500 Purfleet on Thames branded items (trolley coins, phone pops and cotton shopper bags) and had hundreds of discussions. That’s hundreds of people who now know something, or maybe a bit more about our plans. And with all the branded items being seen around Thurrock, we know there will plenty of conversation starters asking “what’s Purfleet on Thames?”.
The Purfleet Community Forum were delighted as they were able to promote their petition for the change of name.
We are already looking forward to next year’s Orsett Show, and will let you know further details closer to the date in 2020.
Say hello to us at the Orsett Show
We are delighted to announce we will be attending the Orsett Show on Saturday 7 September, talking to visitors about the £1bn regeneration in Purfleet. We will have a stand with goodies to give away, and information on the exciting scheme, and you can also pledge your support while there. The team will all be wearing Purfleet badges, so please do say hello!
For more details, go to www.orsettshow.co.uk
.jpg "Pupils at Purfleet Primary School win Art Competition")
Pupils at Purfleet Primary School win Art Competition
Purfleet Primary School and three of its pupils were presented with top prizes yesterday after entering Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited’s art competition drawing what they think the town will look like following the £1billion regeneration called Purfleet on Thames.
The competition encouraged children to think about how they would like to see Purfleet in the future. Using their artistic flair and imagination they were given the choice of using any materials to create their work of art to express their vision.
Mr E Samuel, Purfleet Primary School’s Headteacher, said: ‘We are delighted to have been selected as the winning school- and this is all down to our pupils who took the time to use their creativity and put pen to paper! We’re proud of all the finalists and congratulate everyone who entered. Our prize money of £250 will be put towards art resources.’
Ken Dytor, PCRL founder, said: “It’s an exciting time for Purfleet and we are thrilled with how many children entered the competition- it was great to see how they visualise what their town will look like. We had some incredibly creative entries and choosing two runners up and a winner proved difficult. We know the winner will love the Amazon Kindle Fire 7 Kids Edition and hope Purfleet Primary School can put the £250 to good use.”
The first prize for the pupil is an Amazon Kindle Fire 7 Kids Edition (worth £100), and the school of the winning entry will win £250 for resources. Two pupils will also be awarded a runner up prize of £25 vouchers each, with all finalists receiving Crayola pencils.
The Purfleet on Thames scheme will bring the following to the Essex town:
• A new town centre with shops, restaurants and great public spaces
• A new medical centre, new primary school and new community facilities
• New parks and leisure spaces
• An improved railway station and transport facilities
• A new University campus focusing on healthcare, creative and business entrepreneurship (in later phases)
• State of the art film, TV and media studios facility
• Up to 2,850 new homes
Thurrock Council approves major £1bn Purfleet town centre regeneration
Thurrock Council has given the green light for Purfleet on Thames, a £1bn regeneration project that will see thousands of new homes created in Purfleet, a new town centre and a media and creative industries hub established.
The plans, submitted by Purfleet Centre Regeneration Ltd (PCRL), a joint venture between Urban Catalyst and Swan Housing Association chaired by Sir Tim Laurence, were unanimously granted outline planning permission by Thurrock Council’s Planning Committee last night (Thursday 25 April) and will deliver the following in the town:
• Up to 2,850 homes to be delivered alongside shops, restaurants, a medical centre and community facilities
• A new town centre with upgraded rail station and improved riverside areas and access that will help transform Purfleet into a new destination
• A new primary school
• A state of the art media village
• New parks and leisure spaces
The scheme has the broad support of the local community who have been extensively involved in framing the masterplan and the local Community Forum were vocal at last night’s committee in support of the scheme (which was recognised with a national award for Best Public Participation in 2018).
Purfleet on Thames will deliver up to up to 2,850 new homes alongside a new town centre with shops, restaurants and new public spaces such as a local parks and access to the new riverfront.
Also within the proposals is a 1,000,000 sq. ft. film, TV and creative industries complex which together with the other commercial uses proposed will create over 2,000 new high value jobs for local people.
Residents of Purfleet will further benefit from an improved railway station and transport facilities, with Purfleet less than a 30-minute train ride from central London, plus a new health centre and two new schools.
National recognition for Our Purfleet
We are delighted to have picked up a national award for putting the community at the heart of our £1billion plans to transform Purfleet.
Thurrock Council and Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited (PCRL) won the Best public participation award at the 14th annual Brownfield Briefing Awards.
The award came in recognition of the approach that has been taken to working in partnership with the community to shape the Purfleet proposals and build support for the project, including closely involving the Purfleet Community Forum, regularly consulting the community and establishing a resident-led Purfleet Community Design Panel.
Cllr Mark Coxshall, portfolio holder for Regeneration, said: “We are all very excited by the proposals for Purfleet and the chance to create new opportunities for our residents, including 2,850 much-needed new homes and a new town centre.
“The council and PCRL have shown a strong commitment to community engagement throughout the project and I am delighted that has been acknowledged with this award.
“Another thing we have really prided ourselves on with the Purfleet scheme is a real infrastructure-first approach, which will now set the template for future major developments in Thurrock.”
Ken Dytor, chairman of Urban Catalyst and founding director of PCRL, developer of the Purfleet scheme, said: “This is fantastic recognition of the value of collaboration and underlines the progressive approach Thurrock Council has taken to support our regeneration plans.
"The council’s long-term vision and its willingness to invest in a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revitalise an important part of the South East is a shining example of what Britain needs to do to reinvigorate communities, creating new jobs and homes.”
John Rowles, Chairman of the Purfleet Community Forum and Purfleet Community Design Panel, added: “I am really pleased the forum has had the opportunity to be so heavily involved in the development of this exciting scheme and that the value of good quality community engagement has been recognised with this award.”
Commuters Pledge their Support
The PCRL team were at Purfleet C2C train station bright and early this morning offering commuters bottled water for their journey- we had 500 bottles, and by 8am they had all been given out! We were delighted by the overwhelmingly positive response from Purfleet commuters, whom we hope will now sign up online to pledge their support for our exciting plans for Purfleet on Thames!
We want to express our thanks to John and Trevor from the Purfleet Community Forum for their support today.
Purfleet Newsletter
Purfleet on Thames have launched their first community newsletter detailing what has happened so far, what is next and how you can pledge your support.
Pledge your support for Purfleet on Thames at the C2C train station
Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited (PCRL) will be offering complimentary bottled water to C2C morning commuters at Purfleet station on Thursday 26 July, giving details of their £1billion regeneration project called Purfleet on Thames for the town.
PCRL Launches Local Art Competition for Junior Schools In Purfleet and Surrounding Areas
PCRL (Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited) have launched a local art competition for children aged seven to 11 years old in Purfleet and close surrounding areas. The theme of the art competition is ‘#OurPurfleet – Our Future!’. PCRL in partnership with Thurrock Council, is delivering Purfleet on Thames as a new riverside destination and PCRL want to really get the young people engaged with what this might mean for them!
The first prize for the pupil is an Amazon Kindle Fire 7 Kids Edition, and the school of the winning entry will win £250 for resources. Two pupils will also be awarded a runners up prize of £25 vouchers each. Full T&Cs are here.
Purfleet on Thames features in New London Architecture Exhibition and Research
Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited (PCRL, a joint venture with Urban Catalyst and Swan Housing) are delighted to announce that Purfleet on Thames features in NLA’s (New London Architecture) Knowledge Capital Exhibition and Research piece which focuses on “making places for education, innovation and health.” For more information click here
Zone 1A Proposals
View OurPurfleet’s proposals for the development of Zone 1A.
Download Zone 1A Proposal here
download large image here
Purfleet’s £1 billion regeneration takes an exciting leap forward!
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 £1billion 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!”
For more information visit www.ourpurfleet.com
Media Contact:
E: swancomms@swan.org.uk
T: 0300 303 2500
About Swan Housing Association: www.swan.org.uk
Swan Housing Association was first formed in 1994 and has provided high-quality affordable homes to rent and buy for over almost a quarter of a century. Today Swan operates in East London and Essex and locally manages over 11,000 homes, with a secured development pipeline of over 3,500 homes, a pipeline which is increasing to over 6,000 now that we are working on the Purfleet Regeneration. Swan was recently awarded What House? Housing Association of the Year 2017 and has been recognised as one of the Top 100 Not for Profit companies to work for in the UK by the Sunday Times.
Swan’s mission is to “deliver effective services, enterprising solutions and exemplary homes and communities" whilst continuing to provide excellent housing services that meet the challenging needs of the communities of East London and Essex, delivering neighbourhoods that are healthy, vibrant and sustainable.
On 31 October 2017 Swan became a joint venture partner in Purfleet Centre Regeneration Ltd (PCRL) with Urban Catalyst as Development Managers for the £1bn hhousing-ledregeneration of Purfleet town centre which will include a film and production studios delivered by Quartermaster Holdings.
About Urban Catalyst: www.urbancatalyst.co.uk
Urban Catalyst is a mixed-use real estate development firm, established in 1998, with a strong history of delivering public - private projects exemplified by high-quality design and the creation of sustainable urban communities where people want to live. The firm’s experience as a master developer coupled with their understanding of the public sector means they can provide communities with flexible schemes that specifically meet their needs and provides wide socio-economic benefits. In many ways, Urban Catalyst bridges the gap between the public and private sectors in urban regeneration. Founded by Ken Dytor, who continues as Executive Chairman.
About Quartermaster
The Quartermaster Studios development is media village featuring several film stages and production suites that is part of a wider regeneration scheme by the Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited.
Quartermaster was founded to answer calls from a market demand in media production and to embrace complimentary brands in creating London’s first future proofed entertainment and media community within the UK’s leading and largest studio facility. Media content production is increasing exponentially, in part due to the expanding number of platforms of delivery through the advent of smart devices and advances in content distribution technology.
The media creative teams in the UK, notably recognised as internationally best in class, are in high demand and there is a growing need to develop the next generation of media creative workforce required to meet the demand in production.
An historic moment for Purfleet redevelopment
The £1billion Purfleet regeneration project takes another step forward on Monday (4 December).
In the first phase of the ambitious project, there 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
- new shops, cafés and restaurants
When the whole scheme is completed, there will be:
- a new rail station
- 2,850 new homes
- spaces for new businesses
- more open spaces for residents to enjoy
Keltbray, contractors working on behalf of Thurrock Council and Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited, will be arriving in Purfleet to set up a site office ahead of the planning application being submitted before Christmas.
Leader of the Council, Cllr Rob Gledhill, said: "This is an important first milestone in the project and an historic moment for the town – this marks the start of the transformation of Purfleet.
"I am delighted that we have been able to get plans into action, not just talking about improving Purfleet but actually making it happen.
"The redevelopment of Purfleet will not only benefit the residents in the area, but the borough as a whole. Working with our partners, we will deliver this exciting project."
Cllr Mark Coxshall, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, welcomed the news: "After years of planning, consulting and designing, residents will soon see fencing and site cabins going up ahead of the investigation works starting.
"No planning permission is required for these investigation works and the good news is that we will receive the actual outline planning application in December, nearly two months ahead of the original timescale.
"This scheme has been fully developed with Purfleet residents and for Purfleet residents. I’m looking forward to seeing diggers on site and us getting on with delivering this much-anticipated regeneration scheme."
The investigation works will last for around 10 weeks and will be conducted between Mondays and Fridays from 8am to 5pm. Residents and businesses in the local area will receive further information delivered to their property.
For more information about regeneration in Purfleet, go to thurrock.gov.uk/purfleet-growth
Download the Community information leaflet here.
RELEASE JANUARY 15th 2016:
Thurrock Council: Exciting plans for town
"Purfleet will be transformed," said Thurrock Council Leader, Cllr John Kent on Thursday (14 January) after the development agreement between the council and the Purfleet Centre Regeneration Ltd (PCRL) was signed.
The agreed proposals include around 2,500 homes, 600,000ft2 film and television studios, a new primary school, a new health centre, new shops, removing the level crossing and a brand new railway station.
Cllr Kent said: "There has been an unbelievable amount of work which has gone into creating these plans both by the council and PCRL and their partners.
"This is a really exciting time and over the next few years we will see Purfleet emerge as a wonderful new town centre with top-quality modern facilities.
"And when I say exciting, I mean exciting for people who live and work here now, not just the newcomers. People living in Purfleet today will benefit from all the new facilities, including a new school, a health centre, new shops, and not having to wait at the level crossing to get in and out of town."
The council's portfolio holder for regeneration, Cllr Richard Speight, added: "People often talk down our borough and our plans, but no more.
"The development agreement has now been signed by all the parties, the legal processes are over and over 2016 we will see all the planning applications coming through and some remedial work being carried out.
"But in 2017 the first phase will start to rise – and that includes the school, the health centre and the supermarket.
"We will also see access to the Thames being opened up in this phase of the development as well as hundreds of riverside homes, new public squares, new streets, new pathways, new right of ways, and new publicly accessible open spaces."
Ken Dytor, managing director of Urban Catalyst and joint founder of PCRL added: "Our number one focus is on creating a genuinely accessible and life-changing scheme, providing affordable homes for families and a mix of uses in a true sustainable environment.
"The support of Thurrock Council in creating this scheme is creating a new standard in public private partnership."
Cllr Kent said: "We have seen the new jobs being created at London Gateway and the Port of Tilbury; we have seen real improvements to Grays; we will see major and exciting changes at Lakeside and at the Thames Enterprise Park and, of course, we have created a thriving cultural hub at High House in Purfleet and now we can start setting out the timeline for bringing change to the rest of Purfleet."
Source: https://www.thurrock.gov.uk/news/purfleet-growth/exciting-plans-for-town
