Thurrock Council has supported a consultation on the possibility of creating a Local Development Order for the massive logistics park at the London Gateway.

Leader of the local authority John Kent said this will make the planning process far more transparent and the council hopes this will encourage investors to pump money into the important logistics hub.

The consultation will launch on June 27th and will last for six weeks.

Mr Kent confirmed the council will not completely lose its planning powers and will be able to veto anything it feels does not fit in with the terms discussed during the upcoming consultation.

Transport experts believe the London Gateway facility could make a huge difference to the UK's haulage market and some well known companies have already unveiled plans to build new distribution centres in the area.

Marks & Spencer recently announced it would invest £200 million into a 900,000 sq ft facility at the Essex site.