Introduction
The purpose of this refreshed Plan is to restate and refocus our priorities and the outcomes we want to achieve, as well as the action we will take to achieve them. 2024/25 was the first year of our Corporate Plan: “A fresh start for Thurrock” having been approved unanimously by Full Council in July 2024. The Plan was a significant step in the council’s journey of improvement. It set out how the council will operate over the coming years as it recovers and rebuilds trust with staff, Members, residents and our wider communities.
A lot has happened in the last year. The refresh of this Plan coincides with Thurrock entering a new stage of its Best Value intervention. The updated Directions issued by government in July 2025 show that progress has been made in many areas, but we must have a renewed focus on those improvements which remain outstanding. This refreshed Plan now incorporates the remaining aspects of the Improvement and Recovery Plan into one shared set of priorities and targeted outcomes. To reflect this change, the plan has been renamed the Corporate and Improvement Plan.
The integrity of the original Plan has not changed. It remains focussed on the principles of transparency, accountability, best value and good governance and continues to embrace new approaches to working with partners and our communities. It retains the same values and behaviours developed by staff from across all areas of the council.
Devolution and local government reorganisation offer Thurrock opportunities as part of something stronger, more resilient and better able to deliver for residents. However, it is important that this does not distract from the day job and good service delivery. It remains as important as ever that we get our house in order and continue to make savings and transform the way we work. Delivering the scale and breadth of the change requires a coordinated, one council, multiprogramme approach.
This Corporate and Improvement Plan - alongside its partner documents: the Transformation Roadmap and Place Proposition - will steer us as we continue our improvement journey, working positively with partners locally towards devolution and wider local government reorganisation for the benefit of our residents.
It is not intended to cover everything the council does but sets out our aspirations for change to be delivered alongside our day-to-day activities. It draws together and builds upon the progress on both the previous Corporate Plan and the Improvement and Recovery Plan and has been refreshed to make sure we are ready for the challenges and opportunities ahead.