This week we have seen clear signs of the progress we have all made as we've come together to tackle coronavirus. Nationally the message has moved on and we will begin to see some businesses re-opening and more people returning to work.

Locally we are re-opening Linford Tip and doubling the frequency of our garden waste collections.  These are both signs that headway is being made as we stay alert and control the virus and work together to keep the rate of infection down.

That's not to mention the work which has gone on around the borough during the pandemic which includes our waste teams collecting more than 750,000 bins during this pandemic and our street sweeping teams removing over 150 tonnes of waste from the borough’s streets.

We have now paid out over £20 million in government grants to more than 1,560 local businesses, providing them with vital financial lifelines during this unprecedented time of uncertainty.

There has been a real multi-agency approach with the council and its partners and colleagues working together to ensure that we meet this pandemic head-on and make sure the most vulnerable people in the borough are looked after. We are continuing work behind the scenes with those functions which are not yet up and running publicly, making significant progress ready for a time when we might see more restrictions lifted. 

We have now reached a new phase in our fight against coronavirus, one which calls on all of us to use common sense and good judgement as we go forward.

We can go out more, some people will return to work and we will see more shops opening but we must be careful to always obey social distancing guidelines by staying two metres apart and not meeting groups of friends and family.

Residents in Thurrock can once again use the Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC) from Monday 18 May under strict social distancing rules, following the site’s temporary closure due to COVID-19.                                                         

Thurrock Council’s HWRC on Buckingham Hill Road, Linford, will reopen for waste or recycling which cannot be stored safely at home. Restrictions will be in operation and residents are urged to use common sense and only visit the site if absolutely necessary.

 New restrictions will be in place at the HWRC to ensure the safety of staff and residents.

• only five cars will be allowed on site at a time
• staff will direct drivers where to park
• only one person will be allowed to leave each vehicle
• only one person will be allowed on each walkway or set of steps
• the person leaving the vehicle must be able to dispose of their waste properly without help from staff
• two metres distance must be maintained between everyone on site
• trailers will not be allowed on site until further notice

To help ensure traffic can be managed safely when the site reopens, a temporary one-way system will be implemented from Monday 18 May between the hours of 7:30am and 5:30pm. During this time traffic will only be able to travel northbound on Buckingham Hill Road – from Linford towards Stanford Road – and southbound on Butts Lane and Waltons Hall Road.

This means that traffic from Buckingham Hill Road will be able to join Stanford Road but that there will be no access from Stanford Road to Buckingham Hill Road, instead all traffic wishing to go southbound will be directed along Butts Lane and Waltons Hall Road.

Any vehicles coming out of the HWRC must turn left to continue heading northbound on Buckingham Hill Road.

The temporary one way route will be clearly signposted.

Traffic will be monitored and these measures will be lifted as soon as they are no longer necessary.

Thurrock Council is doubling the frequency of garden waste collections with a two weekly collection beginning next Monday.

This will help anyone who is enjoying their gardens and gardening at this time of year, especially when we are all spending more time at home than usual.

Collections will continue to use the current ward system and will take place in a different half of the borough each week. Residents are asked to leave their brown bin out at the start of the week and to take it in again once their garden waste has been collected. 

The new timetable will use the following fortnightly schedule.

Week commencing Monday 18 May: Chadwell St Mary; Corringham and Fobbing; East Tilbury; Little Thurrock Rectory; Orsett; Stanford East and Corringham Town; Stanford-le-Hope West; The Homesteads; Tilbury Riverside and Thurrock Park; Tilbury St Chads.

Week commencing Monday 25 May: Aveley and Uplands; Belhus; Chafford and North Stifford; Grays Riverside; Grays Thurrock; Little Thurrock Blackshots; Ockendon; South Chafford; Stifford Clays; West Thurrock and South Stifford.

Please continue to dispose of food waste in your green or grey bin. Alternatively you could try home composting – this natural process can help you to save money, improve the soil in the garden and can help reduce your impact on the environment.

As we have all been spending a lot more time at home these past weeks and the government is urging us to continue to do so as we stay alert, control the virus and save lives I am sure that many of us have realised just how important a good home is to all of us.

Thurrock Council certainly takes its responsibility to make sure that people can feel safe and secure in their home seriously.

Since the social distancing measures came into force at the end of March we have carried out 3,326 repairs for our tenants and made sure that vital safety work has continued with our teams working hard to make sure that all of the homes we provide are safe and secure.

On top of that we have provided accommodation for 37 people who were either sleeping rough or at risk of becoming a rough sleeper. Every one of those 37 people now has a roof over their head thanks to the action we have taken.

Work is also progressing on the former Tops Club in Grays with contractors back on site. We expect to have the site handed over by the end of June.

We will continue working hard as we all fight this virus together and I am sure that we will emerge from this experience a stronger and more compassionate community.

Thurrock Adult Community College is offering a wide range of free courses which you can do online from home.

With courses including bookkeeping, introduction to child care, building confidence and creative writing you could use the extra time we are all spending at home to learn a new skill or start a new career.

These courses aim to give you an insight into learning, boost your confidence and inform about the adult education opportunities available. Now booking only through TACC's website

Search and book from their Find A Course page on www.tacc.ac.uk. The courses will be delivered virtually in real time so you will need to join before the advertised start time and places are limited.

Thurrock Fostering are always looking for more Foster Carers who can care for those most in need. Local Foster Carers make a huge difference to the lives of the borough's children and young people by opening their home and family to a child who needs one.

Foster Care Fortnight, running this week through to Sunday 24 May 2020, is a national campaign to raise the profile of fostering, its benefits and how it transforms the lives of children and young people.

The fostering team welcome people from all backgrounds to contact them and find out more, whether they are in a relationship, already have children, are single and whatever their sexuality. You don’t have to live in Thurrock to become a foster carer with us. Full training, support and a generous financial package are provided by the council to support you as a foster carer

For more information or to make an enquiry, go to Thurrock Fostering, phone 0800 652 1256 to speak with the team today or email fostering.adoption@thurrock.gov.uk