Laura Downer

The borough is comprised of four main areas – Benfleet, Canvey Island, Hadleigh and Thundersley – with a working population of approximately 47,000 and 3,400 local businesses and is packed with open spaces, woodlands, and internationally protected coastline and marshes as part of the Thames Estuary Coast. The Council is one of the largest local employers, with nearly 600 staff - of which half are employed directly and the remainder through contracted service providers. The vast majority of businesses within the Borough are micro businesses. Our residents serve key businesses in London, Basildon, Southend, and Thurrock (including the forthcoming Thames Freeport). The borough also hosts a number of high performing schools, USP College, and a strong independent retail offering. The Borough benefits from its proximity to central London (less than half an hour by train) and reliable transport links (with the M25 only 15 mins away), and in the same county as two London airports (Southend and Stansted), and close to London City. Our coastal location is complemented by a number of outstanding natural and heritage assets including the very popular Canvey Seafront and Hadleigh Castle amongst others, which provide the base for a growing visitor offering. Leisure and recreation sit at the heart of the community – with access to two superb leisure facilities (Runnymede Leisure Centre in Thundersley and Waterside Farm Leisure Centre on Canvey Island) -which include swimming pools, fully equipped fitness suites, a state-of-the-art functional Fort free weights zone, a high tech spin studio, and health suite – and with Runnymede Hall offering a fully licensed wedding venue and facilities, suitable for wedding and corporate events.