'Barmy' government urged to speed up over Lakeside

6:22pm Thursday 15th May 2008

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GOVERNMENT bureaucrats have been slammed as barmy and crackpot' after a minister announced she was deferring inclusion of plans for Lakeside from its approved East of England plan, just hours before Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation launched its own blueprint - and is raring to go with its regeneration plans.

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears has announced a revision of plans for Lakeside and instructed the East of England Regional Assembly to undertake a review, working with Thurrock Council, the Development Corporation and Essex County Council.

The review, to be completed by the end of 2009, will look at issues such as the need for mixed-use developments in and around Lakeside, travel issues and the impact of development.

Her view flies in the face of Thurrock opinion, with the Development Corporation, Council and others including MP Andrew Mackinlay who believe they have already done work required and are ready to forge ahead with their vision for the area.

So much so that the Development Corporation went public with its plans for Lakeside & West Thurrock just hours after the minister's announcement.

Spokeswoman Sarah Bishell of the London Communications Agency issued a release saying: "Lakeside & West Thurrock Master Plan builds on the established reputation of Lakeside Shopping Centre by integrating it with surrounding retail and leisure areas.

"Plans include an additional 1m sq ft, approximately, of new retail space and 1.2m sq ft, approximately, of new leisure space.

"Proposals include a high quality sports venue, dedicated ecology zones, a new hotel and a selection of cafes and restaurants.

"A rapid transport system will provide an alternative to travelling around the Lakeside Basin by car, thereby improving air quality, and there will be pedestrian-friendly walkways, cycle routes and improved public transport links."

Mr Mackinlay, who raised the issue in the Commons today, is angry that the government appears to be holding up progress.

He said: "Much time, money and effort has already been spent on Lakeside, with positive things in sight and it is important that the government offers its immediate backing, not prevaricating on this issue. The government holds the key to unlocking strategy, it should ignite this work, not hold it up."

Speaking in the Commons he called on the government "to address the fact that the bureaucrats had decided, for some reason, that Thurrock Lakeside retail park was not or should not be designated a regional shopping centre.

"It is a barmy, crackpot view expressed by bureaucrats. Not only is it mad, but it has some consequences.

The fact that Lakeside is not designated as a regional shopping centre has an impact on the Thurrock urban development corporation, which is a creature of statute and a baby of this Labour Government.

It frustrates the corporation in fulfilling its job of creating new training opportunities and ensuring that the right skills are in the right place in Thurrock. It needs to be able to develop the land around the Lakeside basin - I call it the Lakeside shopping centre, but basin is the technical term for the area - and for it to do that Lakeside has to be designated a regional shopping centre."

Meanwhile, the Corporation has completed its work on the Grays town centre masterplan. After releasing its initial plans and going into a period of consultation, it says its Grays Town Centre Master Plan will breathe new life into the town with commercial, housing, leisure and mixed-use development.

It says: "Grays' position as the strategic and administrative centre for Thurrock will be strengthened by the development of a new Learning Campus, a New Generation Community Hospital and in excess of 210,000 sq ft of high quality commercial space.

"Accessibility is a key focus and proposals include improving the railway station, creating a pedestrian boulevard underpass and introducing a network of pedestrian and cycle paths linked to a revitalised riverfront."

The Development Corporation Board has also given approval for the South East Thurrock Master Plan to be progressed to the next stage. Public consultation on the South East Thurrock Master Plan - Preferred Option is scheduled for this summer.