TGSE Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) – Thurrock

The purpose of this project is to improve and integrate existing passenger transport networks, supporting infrastructure and systems to create opportunities for seamless sustainable travel across South Essex, including the unitary areas of Southend and Thurrock. Also, this will unlock additional transport capacity, which would otherwise prevent economic growth and development. This will be an initiative based on the Government’s ‘Door to Door’ strategy and supplemented / enhanced by a South Essex (SE) wide Local Sustainable Transport Fund approach.

Sustainable growth in South Essex

This proposal is a major catalyst to deliver sustainable growth in the regeneration area of South Essex. It draws together all of the necessary components of an integrated door to door public transport network – information, interchange and improved services.

Growth locations

The SE area comprises growth locations that strongly relate to each other economically. There are clear existing commuting patterns between them, mainly by car, and this is likely to be accentuated by the forecast levels of economic growth across the area. This is likely to result in increased car use, congestion on key inter-urban routes and increased carbon dioxide emissions. This pattern is coupled with leisure trips across the area, generated by sub-regional attractions, such as the Lakeside Shopping Centre, the retail park in Thurrock and the seafront in Southend-on-Sea.

Scheme description

The scheme will specifically include a focus on improvements to the existing passenger transport network by providing the latest AVL / RTPI information facilities; by improving bus stop hardware at key locations along major routes within the SE area, and by introducing improvements on key routes which cross boundaries, in and out, of SE. It will also provide improved and new cycle links to facilitate a more continuous public transport chain by removing gaps in the cycling network. Additionally, there is a specific focus on passenger infrastructure improvements at two major rail stations – Rayleigh and Rochford. These improvements will be concentrated along key corridors of strategic movement, such as access to Basildon Hospital, towards London Southend Airport (LSA), the expanding business parks around LSA, Lakeside and Grays.

£579m of investment to East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock

In total the SELEP Growth Deal with Government has brought £579m of investment to East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock. Over the lifetime of the Growth Deal (2015-2021) we aim to deliver 78,000 jobs and 29,000 homes across the SELEP area, with the Deal set to attract a further £960m of investment into the South East over the six year period.

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