A team of business and council leaders has been handpicked by the Government to spearhead the revival of Thurrock as part of the multi-billion pound Thames Gateway initiative.

The group will run the new Urban Development Corporation overseeing all development and regeneration in Thurrock over the next decade, linking in with major initiatives in the Capital.

They may even be responsible in the future for taking key decisions on planning applications.

Chairman Will McKee, an experienced and respected businessman with experience in property and regeneration, will be joined by senior Thurrock councillors and south Essex company bosses.

Deputy chairman of the UDC will be Thurrock Council Labour leader Andy Smith and fellow councillors John Kent, Yash Gupta and Val Liddiard.

Also included is Chris Paveley, chairman of the FLS Group, one of Britain's largest national information and communications technology support solutions companies based in Basildon.

The other six members will be Grahame Thomas, Bob Chilton, Sunny Crouch, Martin Leigh-Pollitt, Bill Samuel, Ben Stoneham, and Ros Kerslake.

Published Wednesday December 17, 2003

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