SAD TRUTH We live in UK’s ‘capital of MISERY’… billion-pound plan with royal backing to transform our town has ‘ruined it’ instead
HEARTBROKEN homeowners in the UK’s “capital of misery” are demanding a royal apology after billion pound regeneration plans backed by Princess Anne’s husband spectacularly fell apart.
Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence has also lost nearly £200,000 he reinvested in the project after a property firm he chairs went bust owing £57 million.
It left the future of Purfleet-on-Thames in Essex up in the air with fears brand new homes will have to be boarded up and abandoned as a ghost town.
The port town’s ambitious regeneration scheme appears to have all but collapsed after the firm behind it - Purfleet Centre Regeneration Ltd (PCRL) - announced in March it was going into voluntary liquidation.
The project - a joint venture with troubled Thurrock Council - promised a new town centre, multiple housing estates, a primary school, a medical centre and one million square feet of TV and film studios.
BACKED OUT
It was 13 years in the making and was heralded by the late Queen and ex-PM Boris Johnson as one of the UK’s flagship rebuilding projects, costing £1.3 billion.However, the government withdrew £75 million in financial support last year because of delays.
And Thurrock then also backed out so it didn’t have to repay £25 million, which had already been spent.
Despite this, Sanctuary Housing, which took over as developers from Swan Housing in 2023, is adamant it does not expect the liquidation to have any impact.
The firm added it is "moving towards completion" of an initial phase for later this year.The Sun visited the unfinished Botany Gardens estate, which makes up a small part of the original scheme, and found just a handful of seemingly completed homes.
Residents understand the land, which previously housed a bungalow and open fields, was home to one of Winston Churchill’s aides.
It’s over three years since builders first arrived - and none of the homes are yet occupied.
Thurrock had previously said it was probable 34 homes would be completed by the end of 2023, but even that seems an overestimation of what is actually there. The original plans promised up to 2,850 homes across multiple estates, including high rise flats - with Botany Gardens to hold 61 properties.
Across the road is scrubland earmarked for further development, with signs promising: “Exciting times are coming.” But it’s all overgrown, with an adjacent path used by dog walkers.
Neighbouring resident and mum-of-two Jacqui Rippe, 64, told The Sun: “Vice Admiral Sir Tim should at least come out and explain what the plan is. It needs a royal apology.
“Anything like this with the backing of the Royal Family gets your hopes up. The project had the Queen’s support before she died.
“The whole town has a royal heritage. Queen Elizabeth I even gave Purfleet its name.”
According to legend, the Virgin Queen was heard to exclaim "oh, my poor fleet!" when sending ships from a nearby port out to the North Sea to face the Spanish armada.
Developers Sanctuary Housing took over from Swan to help resurrect phase 1a, with the Botany Gardens estate backing onto Jacqui’s home where she lives with husband Paul.
The retired nurse, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2015, described the homes already built as “giant Nissen huts” - in reference to the prefabricated steel structures originally for military use.
“The houses they’ve built look horrible and aren’t in keeping with the character of the area,” a tearful Jacqui continued. “It’s just a mess over there.
“It’s caused devastation to our lives. I don’t know who we can talk to help us anymore. We’re living with this. Everything they’ve promised has not happened.”
She said she was on the phone to her cousin one day when a beloved forest area immediately behind her back garden fence was suddenly “bulldozed” down by workers.
Jacqui - who has lived in her home 31 years - dashed outside to get some video, saying it broke her heart.
“The forest was a big part of our life,” she said. “My children have grown up around here. The day they took the forest the birds had nowhere to roost, the bats have disappeared.
“Nature’s gone and been replaced with rats. Next door has rats in the garden. They were never there before. All they’ve planted are these dead trees.”
Jacqui has continued to receive chemotherapy while the work is ongoing.
During The Sun’s visit, around a dozen workers were on the fenced off site. It’s understood Botany Gardens is the only portion of the original plan that has any chance of being completed.
Jacqui said she often has workers peering into her upstairs windows and shared a photo showing one appearing to urinate against the side of one of the only completed homes near the entrance to the site.
Couple John, 59, and Jackie Daly, 61, have lived in one of a row of townhouses backing onto the same site for 25 years.
They said the town name only added the "on-Thames" after the regeneration was announced.
“We’ve really had no information, you just get stonewalled when you ask questions,” said Jackie.
“They have the cheek to call it Botany Gardens when they chopped down all the trees.
“Our kids grew up playing in the forest. It took them four days to chop it down. We were told they would only take down dead trees but they took everything, even the healthy ones.
“I thought there was a protection order in place.”
John added: “They promised it’s going to be a regeneration, it’s going to put Purfleet on the map. We all thought ‘great, we’ll stay here’.
“Now look at it. It’s not a lot of fun living on a building site your whole life.”
The couple weren’t aware that the Sir Tim-linked firm had gone under.
Jackie said: “Oh, that’s the first we’ve heard. That’s interesting. I don’t even know if it explains anything because it’s been so slow for years.”
She continued: “We have no idea what’s going on. It would be nice to get updates.
“If they were to finish that site and sell the houses they’ve built they could get the revenue to finish the rest of the project.
“It doesn’t take a genius. If it involves this council, it’s not going to get finished. They’ve gambled away our tax money and devalued our homes.”
The Dalys said they were looking forward to plans for a new train station and a flyover, which have seemingly been shelved.
They laughed when asked about the state-of-the-art TV studio. Jackie said there was supposed to be a shopping centre and a “cafe culture” too, according to plans. “If you believe the plans it would have been beautiful,” she said.
“You wouldn’t believe how often these windows have to get washed because of the dust that comes from the site,” she continued.
John added: “I know things have to happen, people need homes and things need updating, but have a plan and a start and finish point.”
Jackie recalled couples along their road crying outside their homes due to the stalling work.
“A woman was literally in floods of tears and I went out to comfort her,” she explained.
“Her husband had terminal cancer, he liked to be outside in the garden with the trees and birds. They had great views, now they’ve got big buildings that block out the light.
“It’s very deceiving. You drive through here and think ‘oh look at all the building work, it’s lovely’. But it’s not.
“It’s got so much potential though if they just sort it out and tell us what’s going on. We’re just going round in circles.”
Julie McGregor, 52, has regularly worked from home since the pandemic, meaning she’s often met by the noise of the never-ending work.
She said the current regeneration scheme is seemingly an off-shoot of talks which have gone on for decades.
“People have a right to houses, but it’s been 20 years of talking and not much else. We’ll be so disappointed if it’s not finished.”
Julie often looks after cats for a shelter and currently has a kitten, which she was worried would escape before inviting us inside.
“I wish I could say I can show you all the paperwork they used to send, but I always throw it all away,” she said.
She recalled seeing plans for restaurants and a marina at one stage.
“I remember working from home hearing the building work start and it’s just never finished,” she added, laughing.
“There was an orchard there that’s now gone. It was all green and lovely.”
Another resident, who did not wish to be named, but aged in her 90s and who has lived there for 68 years, said: “It will put me in the ground before long.
“They’ve run out of money and we’ve been left with this. It was going to be out of this world, but where is it? Three years of all the banging and the dust. I don’t like going outside now.”
Homes England, an executive body sponsored by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, raised concerns about Thurrock Council and PCRL’s inability to find further investors for the project before Government investment was pulled.
The struggling local authority was effectively declared bankrupt in 2022 and needed both government intervention and a bailout.
It has been given £69 million for 2024-25 to help balance its books, with council tax going up 8%.
Thurrock has reduced its overall debt to £434 million mainly by recouping money from its investments, according to reports.
PCRL went into liquidation on March 25 owing £57,011,023.
This included £41 million to a Swan Housing subsidiary and 24 other creditors, including HMRC, Network Rail and Companies House.
Sir Tim has lost £184,668 he reinvested in the venture from payments for his services - and there are no assets to pay back creditors, with the former Royal Navy officer signing off the firm’s statement of affairs.
PCRL’s “vision” was to radically transform 140 acres, with the plans welcomed by locals after it was dubbed the UK’s “capital of misery” by The Guardian after Thurrock finished last in a Government wellbeing survey.
One local had complained, “it’s one big cesspit here”.
One in five children in the borough grow up in poverty, rising to over one in two in some areas, with unemployment and life expectancy both lower than the national average.
Have you been affected?
Have you been affected by the scheme? Have you put your name down for a home at Botany Gardens?
Please email ryan.merrifield@thesun.co.uk
John Rowles, chairman of Purfleet on Thames Community Forum, said: "I feel severely disappointed, I’ve spent a lot of time and effort on this.
“I blame PCRL and the local council.
“In the last 30 years, there’s not been one iota of infrastructure, the sort of stuff you need to make a sustainable community.
“We’ve got the housing developments, but nothing else.
“I personally object to that [comments about it being a cesspit]. I’ve heard similar comments, even one of our members when we were talking about changing the name to Purfleet-on-Thames, they said, 'all you’re trying to do is polish a turd', which I found objectionable.”
He went on to say: “I like Tim Laurence, he’s a really, really nice bloke. His level of involvement, I would assume is minimal because I think if he really knew, he wouldn’t let it happen.
“So I don't think any fault lies with Tim Laurence…the actual plans for the development were really, really good.
“One of our chief planners, who no longer works here, said that this is the best application he’d ever seen for a regeneration project.
“I think it didn’t happen with Brexit to contend with, which did impact on big projects, and also the fact that we had three years of shutdown, but I’m not giving those that are in charge any excuse. It’s just a fact.”
Sir Tim said in January 2021: "The housing infrastructure funding is a major milestone in the regeneration of Purfleet-on-Thames.
"It will allow us to upgrade the town's transport links and pave the way for us to deliver thousands of new high quality homes."
Ben Maney, cabinet member for regeneration and highways at Thurrock Council, said in February: “Despite efforts by PCRL to secure funding it was clear that this could not be achieved on terms that were satisfactory to PCRL shareholders or Thurrock Council so we have now, with the agreement of the PCRL Board, terminated the development agreement.
“The project has not been abandoned, the council remains committed to delivering high quality regeneration in Purfleet-on- Thames with the supporting infrastructure, town centre and station improvements, and this decision now allows us to move forward and consider alternative delivery options.
"We are working closely with Homes England and potential funding partners and intend to bring options before Cabinet soon.”
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the matter.
However a source close to Sir Tim told The Sun: "Sir Tim is deeply frustrated and saddened that, after eight years of hard graft from all involved, this important regeneration project has not been possible.
"Every avenue was explored to keep the development plan viable, but ultimately the economic headwinds through Covid and beyond - and the significant financial difficulties of the local council who were core to its implementation - made it impossible to continue.
"Having been so passionate about improving the area for the local community, Sir Tim is as disappointed as anyone that it has ended this way."
In a Thurrock Council report dated September 28 2023, it said that “PCRL has consistently struggled to obtain funding (debt and additional equity) for the project and this has been its main obstacle to unlocking delivery.”
A Sanctuary spokesperson told The Sun: “As part of our rescue of Swan Housing Association in 2023, we took over the Purfleet 1a site and the plans for 34 shared ownership properties.
"All 34 homes have been reserved and we are moving towards completion on site in Autumn 2024.
"The new homes are being built in compliance with the approved planning permission and we can also confirm that we are working closely with the local authority on plans for phase two of this development."
They added the firm does not expect the liquidation to have any impact on the development.
A spokesperson for Sanctuary had said in February: “We can confirm that the development agreement between Thurrock Council and Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited (PCRL) has been terminated.
“Sanctuary has committed to the completion of the active phase of the development, which will deliver much needed shared ownership and affordable housing for the people of Purfleet.”
A Thurrock Council spokesperson told The Sun: "Thurrock Council and Purfleet Regeneration Limited (PCRL) mutually terminated their development agreement after PCRL were unable to secure funding for the project as required by the grant agreement between them, Thurrock Council and Homes England.
"If the development agreement had not been terminated it could have led to the council having to pay back around £25m of Housing Infrastructure Fund funding."In terms of the ongoing work by Sanctuary Housing, they are working with the council in its role as local planning authority - on planning permission – and as landowner of the site."
The Sun has also contacted PCRL for comment.
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