The former Coryton refinery in the Thames Estuary has been earmarked as a 400-acre industrial park to rival DP World’s London Gateway.
Thurrock council has identified the refinery site in Essex, which closed in 2012, for a number of uses with owners the Thames Enterprise Park pushing the site for manufacturing and logistics use.
A bid is currently underway to designate the park as an enterprise zone.
Some 110 acres with jetty access adjacent to London Gateway is immediately available for use, with further land becoming available following demolition and sale.
Thurrock council leader John Kent said: “The loss of the refinery was a blow to the local economy, as well as the national one, but the ideas being put forward for the area now are really exciting, again on a local and a national, if not international, level and will enhance Thurrock’s growing position as the powerhouse of Britain’s economic recovery.”
Thames Enterprise Park head of business development Graham Alexander said: “The enormous potential of the site became apparent when we started receiving multiple expressions of interest from would-be occupiers despite a lack of active marketing.”
chris.berkin@estatesgazette.com
