Community Planning Project

Grays Shopping Centre

Project type:	New Urban Quarter
Stage:	Community Planning

The local community was invited by JTP and NewRiver, the owner of Grays Shopping Centre, to the Grays Shopping Centre Community Planning Weekend on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 February 2020 to help shape the future of this important part of Grays town centre. The Report Back Presentation can be downloaded here (part 1 and part 2) and the Broadsheet here.

Background
Grays Shopping Centre is an important part of Grays town centre with its distinctive high street, varied retail offer and good transport connections. The shopping centre is right at the heart and it represents an exciting opportunity to increase vibrancy, vitality and offer an improved range of facilities and much needed new homes that will help create a viable long-term future for the town.

The owner of the shopping centre NewRiver is committed to working closely with existing retailers and the local community to help shape the future of the shopping centre and its relationship with the wider town. NewRiver has appointed community planners JTP to facilitate a Community Planning Weekend.

Community Planning Weekend
Friday 28 February 2020, 1:45pm to 5:30pm and
Saturday 29 February 2020, 11:00am to 4:00pm

The Community Planning Weekend took place in the former Cash Generator unit, Clarence Road, within Grays Shopping Centre and was a chance to share local knowledge and contribute to creating a new Vision through facilitated workshops and hands-on planning groups. There was also an exhibition explaining the background of the site and team members were on hand to answer questions. Participation was on a drop-in basis with no need to pre-register – people could stay for a short while, a few hours or for the whole event if able.

Report Back Presentation
Tuesday 03 March 2020, 6:30pm to 8:30pm

Following the public workshop days, the JTP-led team analysed and summarised the outcomes to draw up a Vision for Grays Shopping Centre, including an illustrative masterplan. This was presented back to the local community on Tuesday 03 March at Thameside Theatre.

For more information please email community@jtp.co.uk.