Census: Thurrock growing in diversity

8:00am Thursday 10th January 2013 in News

THURROCK is growing more diverse as its population increases, the most recent census results have shown.

Statistics released following the detailed Government survey, conducted in March 2011, show a steep population jump of 14,500, with the number of black Africans residing in Thurrock up by more than 1,000 per cent.

Around 9.1 per cent of Thurrock’s total population has arrived within the last ten years, with almost every ethnic group and religion seeing an increase in numbers.

The census also shows Thurrock as having the third highest number of unmarried couples living together with children, in 3,703 households. More than 10 per cent of couples living together in the borough are not married.

Labour council leader John Kent said this was an issue for society as a whole, while the Conservative leader Phil Anderson has called it “concerning”.

The borough’s elected members have all welcomed a changing and more diverse Thurrock, but warned policy should reflect this and pleaded with residents to ensure communities are harmonious.

They have called on residents to show more aspiration, too, as figures show Thurrock is among the lowest in the country, and well below national average, when it comes to people being in professional occupations.

More than 81 per cent of people in Thurrock are White British. The second largest ethnic group in the borough is Black African British, which is 9,742 strong, constituting 6.2 per cent of the population, the 14th highest percentage in the UK.

In 2001, there were just 971 Black African British people living within the community. That is the most significant jump, but almost all ethnic groups have seen a relatively big rise in population since 2001.

Cllr Kent said: “For the council the numbers play a pivotal role. The money the council receives from central government is based on these numbers.

“The figure is one that the Government put into its formula to decide how much we receive towards providing services like social care for the young and the old or emptying your bins.”

The 2011 census results have pointed to the importance of Lakeside shopping centre and the borough’s retail hubs in Grays and Corringham as a source of jobs.

More than 20 per cent of Thurrock’s population is employed within the retail and vehicle repairs industries, one of the highest proportions in England and Wales.

Paul Lancaster, Lakeside general manager said: “We continuously strive to support local organisations, schools and more through donations and sponsorship.

“This work is just part of our commitment to shoppers and local residents, to recognise and reward deserving charitable causes in the local community and support young people.”

* Full census coverage in this week's Thurrock Gazette.

Comments(29)

Bernard 87 says...
8:20am Thu 10 Jan 13

Nothing here surprises me in the slightest.

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PoorFleet says...
9:03am Thu 10 Jan 13

Cllr Kent said: “For the council the numbers play a pivotal role. The money the council receives from central government is based on these numbers."

That is a very evident fact.

Short term cash with long term social consequences.

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fletch12107 says...
10:02am Thu 10 Jan 13

1000% increase in black Africans, lowest for aspiration, more than 10% couples not married,schools in bottom sector of Ofsted reports and these are the good points. I don't think its number one on Trip Advisor as places to visit.

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Thurrock Trojan says...
12:25pm Thu 10 Jan 13

Which party let immigration get out of control? Labour!

I'm a Labour supporter but the party has a lot to answer for.

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Thurrock Trojan says...
12:28pm Thu 10 Jan 13

There are definitely more than 9,725 Africans in Thurrock! Who made up these false figures?

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ebagumtrebor says...
1:40pm Thu 10 Jan 13

Something to look forward to when Labour win the general election in 2015. Get ready to lay on the floor while they wipe their feet on you on the way in, because there'll be millions more after 2015.

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thurrock_citizen says...
1:58pm Thu 10 Jan 13

Bloody hell, you don't need census results to tell you this. every time I drop my kids off in school there are more Africans than English people. it is only a matter of time before us white English people will be out numbered by either Black or Polish people (may already have happened). I am not racist but something has be done to stop this. cant just blame labour as they all the same, no party has grip of this issue and MP's are weak to talk about this issue because they will be branded raciest. we need to pull out of Europe and take full control of our boarders like Australia.

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Grays 247 says...
8:14pm Thu 10 Jan 13

Low aspiration is a huge issue for me as i have very young kids and would like them to grow up in thurrock. We so many people here just living on benefits, which the census does not capture. I was on the train to Pitsea the other day (never again btw) and overheard a couple talking about how they are going to spend their benefits money on £80 trainers for their kid! My wife i work and have to send our kids to nusery which costs a bomb! We have think 100 times before buying anything! Let alone £80 on trianers for our kids! How does a couple on benefits just spend £80 on trainers?? This was a typical example of a couple from thurrock who's child will end like them! It sickens me! Maybe the council need to also focus on this issue. The cons and libs have been in power long enough now and have done nothing.

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Mattster says...
12:02am Fri 11 Jan 13

Cant disagree with those either. I think the desire to haggle over *any* transaction is a deep rooted cultural thing.

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Bernard 87 says...
8:42am Fri 11 Jan 13

I don't think it's fair to start listing everything you don't like a particular group do...I wouldn't want anyone to do that about English folk but I get the point about wanting everyone in Thurrock to integrate more. This will rely heavily on the council and how they allocate housing, scrapping diversity teams which in my opinion are a complete waste of our council tax and limit the amount of ethnic shops (not restaurants) and churches allowed to open in the town centre/around the borough. Labour spent too long telling people its ok to live segregated lives but people now have to be pushed together again whether they like it or not.

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Bodoftheglen says...
9:15am Fri 11 Jan 13

The more concerning thing in my veiw is all the houses being built to house the influx of people. First they take three massive feilds in chadwell an turn that into houses. Then they turn the willaim ball land in west thurrock into houses where I had a unit I could afford to rent. An they also plan to build in aveley yet more houses do they not think the area is built up enough already. Its alright for these people making the plans to build them an bringing the people here they probably don't live here anyway. It would be intresting to see where these people in charge of our area live an wether they qualify to make these changes in our area if it doesn't affect them

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Bernard 87 says...
10:15am Fri 11 Jan 13

That is because Thurrock is seen as the dumping ground of Essex. It was Labours idea to create a quango to push through development plans in South Essex. They didn't think they would get too much opposition due to the Labour leaning tendencies of Thurrock. However now we have a problem where developers seem to think Thurrock is a free for all borough. Places like Loughton, Chigwell, Waltham Abbey and Brentwood are all closer to London than most of Thurrock but those councils will not allow much of their land to be developed in the same way as Thurrock. The fact that so much of the borough is greenbelt also seems to work against us as a precedent has long been set that building on small parts of it are ok.

I have also noticed that Havering next door has had hardly any large developments proposed for its greenbelt land and it falls within Greater London.

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OckendonPaul says...
10:23am Fri 11 Jan 13

"The borough’s elected members have all welcomed a changing and more diverse Thurrock".
I've pasted the above quote from the article for the benefit of anyone deluded enough to think that any of the three main parties will EVER do anything to stop this.
Our replacements are arriving quickly and a vote for any of that lot makes you complicit in it.
Oh, and can I add one to the list?

12. The A13 has an inside lane, feel free to use it from time to time.

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Mo-lakeside says...
12:53pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Thurrock already has a reputation for racism and it really doesnt do much good when posts that show clear dilike for a particular race is made on a public board. I am glad however that we are surrounded by whites British and they are all very friendly and welcoming so I wont be flawed by some of the sad comments here. When certain individuals behave in an unpleasant way it is totally wrong to classify it as a racial issue. Clearly cultural backgrounds play a role in people's behaviour but I will be very stupid to assume all whites behave in a certain manner across the different parts of the world.

If the Thurrock council gets more allocation as population is increasing, its clearly not reflected in the transport services, good schools, crime prevention etc. The availability of essential services hasnt grown to match the pop growth and a lot needs to be done.

With respect to immigration, I agree their needs to be some form of control given the struggling economy, EU immigration is a bigger challenge compared to non-EU in my own opinion. As long as there is free movement in the EU, people from less well-off nation will continually migrate towards a better life..It's just the fact of life really.

Clearly there is a lot of work to be done but the arguments need to be constructive and channelled towards the people in power who can make the changes happen.

I normally wouldnt comment on forums but I just wasnt happy with some of the comments I have read here. Black or White, we all have blood flowing in our veins and wish a better life for ourselves and our children.

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Mattster says...
1:25pm Fri 11 Jan 13

I only saw one comment that was offensive which has now been removed, not sure why mine has gone as i did stipulate that it applied to all colours and creeds which includes White British.

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rocket1 says...
2:32pm Fri 11 Jan 13

do illegal immigrants fill in census forms?.

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Bernard 87 says...
2:44pm Fri 11 Jan 13

No they don't Rocket. I read somewhere that there is around 1 million illegal immigrants in Britain - many of those will probably never be deported. There is no real urgency to deal with this issue from any main party at the moment. The EU would not like it.

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ebagumtrebor says...
3:43pm Fri 11 Jan 13

When someone mentions hate crime it's clear they've been re-educated by Labour, the mass media in general and the Guardian et al. Mo You're absolutely rigt that it is human nature for a person to want a better life for themselves and their families. What is wrong is for the left and the Labour party, that were the government of the time, to lie to a nation about what they were doing. A nation they were supposed to represent. This country couldn't and still can't afford immigration on that scale. If the Labour party and the left in general in Europe and America want to solve world poverty by allowing mass immigration, at least have the decency to tell the people they laughingly say they represent instead of smuggly and arrogantly assuming that us mere plebs don't have the intelectual capacity to understand their arguments. They've imported poverty on a scale not seen since the second world war and didn't bat an eyelid as to the wishes of the local population. It seems that the ruling class colonialist attitudes are alive and kicking in the left and the Labour party.

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sooty31 says...
4:08pm Fri 11 Jan 13

the irony is that many of us are probably immigrants if you look back far enough some of my ancestors came from russia and poland.

i think over the past few years there has been a massive increase in immigration and i think that does frighten some people which is understandable.

as for spending £80 on kids trainers and being on benefits certainly sticks in the throubt makes one wonder why bother working!!

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improving road safety says...
8:44am Sat 12 Jan 13

Well spoken Thurrock Trojan. Inconsiderate drivers that hog the centre and outside lane on three lane carriageway’s when the left (inside) lane is clear are failing the Highway Code rules, this sometimes results in tail gating, undertaking, and in some cases road rage, an accident could be the final result. I have been thinking about how some of these drivers passed a UK driving test. Bring in the theory test for all drivers prior to driving licence renewals, All foreign visitors Must pass a UK theory and driving test before being allowed to drive on any UK roads!

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Grays 247 says...
10:04am Sat 12 Jan 13

Totally agree comments about A and M road driving. Because us brits would never drive badly. How dare anyone come into our country and not obey the highway code. We all obey it to the letter. Who do these people think they are?! I hope the sarcasm is coming through loud and clear folks.

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Mattster says...
10:21am Sat 12 Jan 13

Grays 247 wrote:
Totally agree comments about A and M road driving. Because us brits would never drive badly. How dare anyone come into our country and not obey the highway code. We all obey it to the letter. Who do these people think they are?! I hope the sarcasm is coming through loud and clear folks.
Have to agree that Middle Laners are a truly multicultural bunch and dont get me started on the new 4 Lane M25 and the numpties that absoutely refuse to use the inside lane now.

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aberline 88 says...
4:54pm Sun 13 Jan 13

what worries me is the levels of crime they have brought with them, we have enough local criminals ruining decent peoples lifes. and why do they stand in a circle in the garden late of a night while a lady gets in the circle and makes that silly bloooo blooooo noise? some of us have to get up early. and a garden is for leisure and relaxation and not a toilet

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Bodoftheglen says...
5:19pm Sun 13 Jan 13

aberline 88 wrote:
what worries me is the levels of crime they have brought with them, we have enough local criminals ruining decent peoples lifes. and why do they stand in a circle in the garden late of a night while a lady gets in the circle and makes that silly bloooo blooooo noise? some of us have to get up early. and a garden is for leisure and relaxation and not a toilet
Strangely enough I know what you mean as one of neighbours done the same thing back last summer I presumed it was a birthday party. It must be Much the same as us going to a ciu club. Or hiring a hall

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Dave_ says...
6:47pm Sun 13 Jan 13

“Cllr Kent said: “For the council the numbers play a pivotal role. The money the council receives from central government is based on these numbers.
“The figure is one that the Government put into its formula to decide how much we receive towards providing services like social care for the young and the old or emptying your bins.””
If I am to understand this correctly, the more immigrants we have the more money the borough gets. What a shambolic way to run a country. What about getting money for the indigenous population that have been hammered through taxes? This sort of mentality just opens the enticements not only for foreign nationals to be encouraged, but people from all over to be made to feel like they want to come here. Which is probably why they are hell bent on covering Thrrock in concrete and bricks.

“More than 20 per cent of Thurrock’s population is employed within the retail and vehicle repairs industries, one of the highest proportions in England and Wales.”
Getting paid near or just above minimum wage for the most part. Only working part-time or what I have seen in retail on a seasonal / casual contract with stuff all rights, I imagine. I know people who work for supermarkets on casual contracts and they get treated extremely poorly as the so called management couldn’t organise a drink in a pub.

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Marcus P says...
9:27pm Tue 15 Jan 13

I see Grays is in the top ten worst towns for house price falls. Halifax say average prices in Grays fell 7%. Yet Southend and Dartford went went up 17% and 14% respectively.

I wonder if the Africanisation of Grays is the cause of this?

White flight?

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Thurrock Trojan says...
9:42pm Tue 15 Jan 13

ebagumtrebor wrote:
If you were to put the above comments into a comedy sketch it wouldn't get anywhere. Nobody would believe it.
The same can be said for this rotten, incompetent, out of touch Government.

Triple-dip recession, anyone?

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improving road safety says...
8:31pm Fri 18 Jan 13

The rows and bickering seems to be getting worse, and It looks like the guy from ukip may have a point to what he said on Question time this week, ask yourself this question, if our boarders were closed to all future immigrants, would the argument to exit from Europe still be on the table?

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Bodoftheglen says...
5:28pm Mon 21 Jan 13

I would be happy with that. See if our country can balance itself out with. Jobs for the unemployed an fair wages without someone willing to do it cheaper

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