Canvey third road should be 'prioritised' after funding

Pressure is mounting over the long-held ambition to realise a third route off the island in an effort to stop the daily jams plunging south Essex into chaos.

The proposal for a third road off the island has been high on the agenda for decades and a new road has even been touted from Northwick Road on Canvey over to Manor Way in Stanford-le-Hope.

Hopes are now mounting that a £20million cash bonanza for the island – revealed by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in his Budget – will finally be the catalyst for the third road plan to tackle traffic misery.

Andrew Sheldon (Image: Andrew Sheldon)

The scale of the roads chaos has been brought into sharp focus in a catalogue of incidents over the years including a huge fire which engulfed a petrol tanker at Sadlers Farm and forced the closure of Canvey Way for days, leaving islanders feeling trapped.

Canvey resident, Paula Hightower, 53, said: “This is something everyone has wanted for many years now, it is massively important. There are only two roads on and off the Island, so any time one of them gets a blockage, it causes absolute havoc, and nobody can get anywhere.

“A third road would greatly improve the situation. It should be a priority as it affects the whole community. Getting on and off the Island has been a constant problem.”

Last year, frustrated residents launched a petition calling for the return of a task force to push for a third road off Canvey.

The campaign was launched by residents who set up a Facebook group to “bring back the Canvey Third Access Task Force”, originally set up by former Castle Point council leader Andrew Sheldon before it was axed.

'Careful planning needed' - Ray Howard (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Sheldon, Essex county councillor for South Benfleet, said: “The priority [with the funding] is to revitalise the town centre, however, the third road needs to be in conjunction with that to maximise the benefits of the funding.

“So, the council needs to take action on the third road task force now. For the first time ever, we got councils to talk about it, but no recorded action has been taken by the Council since.

“A third road will take a long time but to maximise the benefits of the £20million, there needs to be a plan in place for the third road.”

Castle Point freeman and former councillor Ray Howard, said the cash may not be able to be spent on a new road.

But he added: “It needs careful planning, no doubt about it. We don’t want to waste this money. But we need people who have Canvey at heart, to sit and discuss ideas, so we get the full benefit out of it.”