Residents said they’d rather see new development focused on existing built-up areas and improving existing business sites. That’s exactly what the Council has been working on.

We undertook a thorough assessment of the Council’s urban and employment areas and identified sites across the Borough that could deliver homes and renewed employment space on this basis.

There are considerable opportunities on Canvey to deliver urban renewal, especially in the town centre and at West Canvey.

In terms of the town centre, there is the opportunity to refresh the town centre, improving its vitality and footfall. We are similarly looking at Hadleigh Town Centre in this regard, however several of the opportunities for redevelopment in Hadleigh Town Centre have already been delivered in the last 10 years. Examples of this can be seen on the north-side of the London Road between the junction with Rectory Road and the borough’s boundary with Southend.

At West Canvey there are over 10 hectares of land allocated for employment purposes that are not being used at this time. There are also other areas of land that are not being used effectively. This provides the opportunity to look at the regeneration of the whole of the Charfleets area, as there is scope to move uses around and create new business space before existing space is lost. It is expected that around 30% of the land area at West Canvey will be redeveloped for mixed use commercial and residential development. By only seeking to develop 30% of the area for mixed use development, which will leave 70% of the space for those uses that do not combine well with residential uses, such as the steel manufacturing currently taking place.

To enable this development to occur a master plan will be prepared. This will set out those areas that are proposed for redevelopment and those areas that will be retained for industrial uses. It will identify how parking provision will be addressed throughout the area, and how the area will be serviced by improved public transport provision, and other community services.

It is important to remember that the growth will not be delivered all at once but over 17 years. Master plans will be prepared for the town centre and for west Canvey which will guide growth and ensure that it is supported by appropriate infrastructure.