Parking in Thurrock: Council Car Parks, Charges, Permits and Blue Badges

Thurrock Council runs the off-street car parks and the on-street parking rules across the borough. This guide covers what the council publishes about its car parks, how you pay, and how permits and Blue Badges work. Charges change, so use the council's page for the current figures.

Which council car parks are in Thurrock?

The council's car parks and on-street parking page lists its car parks by town.

Grays (pay and display):

• Argent Street, 42 spaces
• Cromwell Road, 60 spaces
• Grays Beach, Thames Road, 182 spaces
• Station House, 10 spaces

The council gives a charge range of £1.40 to £7.90 depending on how long you stay for these car parks.

Free council car parks:

• Corringham: Gordon Road (Grover Walk), 112 spaces; Gordon Road (police station), 53 spaces; Giffords Cross, 78 spaces
• Chadwell St Mary: Defoe Parade, 56 spaces
• Grays (Socketts Heath): Lodge Lane, 56 spaces

South Ockendon:

• Canterbury Parade, 100 spaces: free for up to one hour, then £1.90 to £7.90
• Tamarisk Road, 27 spaces: £1.40 to £7.90

The council says the car parks are open 24 hours a day.

How do I pay?

The council states that its pay-and-display machines accept debit or credit card only. No mobile payment app is mentioned on the page, so do not rely on cash. The council also sells an annual pass for £900 giving unlimited parking at its off-street car parks, as published on the same page.

Which car parks are not run by the council?

The council's page names Grays Shopping Centre, Morrisons Grays and the NCP car park at Grays rail station as private car parks. Their charges and rules are set by their operators. Station car parks elsewhere, such as at Stanford-le-Hope and Chafford Hundred, belong to the railway; see our train stations guide.

What permits does the council issue?

The parking permits page lists six types: resident, visitor, carers, business, NHS, and contractor and trader permits. Eligibility differs by type, and the council directs you to each permit's own page for how to apply. Visitor permits are managed through a permit portal. The council says permits must not be transferred or resold and that false statements can lead to a permit being revoked. The overview page does not give permit prices.

How do Blue Badges work?

The council administers and enforces the Blue Badge scheme locally. Its Blue Badge page explains who qualifies. Some people qualify automatically, for example those aged three or over on the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance, or with eight or more points for moving around under Personal Independence Payment. Others may qualify through an assessment, and the council may ask for an independent occupational therapist assessment of about 30 minutes at the Civic Offices, New Road, Grays, RM17 6SL. The disability must be expected to last at least three years. Organisations caring for eligible disabled people can apply for up to three badges.

Where else is parking covered?

The council has pages on parking enforcement and on yellow and red lines, linked from its main parking page. If you have a penalty charge notice, follow the instructions printed on it and on the council's enforcement page.

Hospital parking is separate: Basildon Hospital sets its own charges; see our urgent care guide.