THURROCK could receive more than £15million to improve transport in the borough.

The East of England Regional Assembly is asking the Government for more than £184million for road and rail schemes and Thurrock could also benefit from the cash as the bid includes £12.2million to upgrade capacity on the Tilbury loop of the c2c line and £3million to set up a public transport centre in Thurrock.

John Reynolds, chairman of the regional planning panel, said: "If the Government funds these essential schemes, it will ease rail and road problems in several areas and also help to increase the supply of housing and jobs in some of the region's most pressurised areas.

"All of the schemes included in the bid will have to be funded by Government if the existing housing and economic growth in local plans, let alone the stepped increases contained in our draft East of England Plan, are to be delivered."