TWO “secret” islands boasting swathes of green open space in south Essex are set to be sold off by the Ministry of Defence, sparking fears they could be used for housing.

Potton Island and Rushley Island, which sit between Shoebury and Rochford, have been declared as “surplus to requirements” by the Government.

The islands neighbour Foulness Island – part of restricted Ministry of Defence land - where the public can only visit once a month to go to the island’s museum and heritage centre.

While access to Foulness is restricted to the 150 people who live there, Potton Island is only connected to the mainland by a swing bridge with a traffic light system leading to Great Wakering.

Southend historian Marion Pearce fears the islands –which were previously placed on the market ten years ago – could ultimately be used for housing Marion, who wrote history book “Milton, Chalkwell, and the Crowstone” believes the islands should be transformed into nature reserves with access created for residents.

She said: “My personal concerns would be if the land of Rushley Island as well as Potton, is used for more housing.

“I would strongly suggest that the land should be made a nature reserve, for the inhabitants of Essex to enjoy.

“This is a wonderful opportunity, to give our city much-needed new green space for all to utilise and enjoy.

“They should be made into nature reserves.

“So, everyone can enjoy these unique habitats.”

Potton Island is an island west of Foulness and was once home to several arable farms until it flooded in 1884, leading to its temporary abandonment and longer-term use as pasture.

Rushley Island is a small uninhabited island just off Great Wakering and has largely been used for farming since a sea wall was constructed in the 1780s.

Back in May 2023, Rochford and Southend East MP Sir James Duddridge called for the Government to consider the Potton Island and Foulness Island for green energy projects.

He believed they were “ideal locations” for onshore wind farms that could cut energy bills and tackle climate change.

At the time Jon Fuller, a spokesman for South East Essex Friends of the Earth, said they were ideal locations because of the “sparse location, large flat and open spaces” which could create “clean energy”.

In 1998, National Wind Power put forward plans to turn 1,000 acres of Foulness Island into a wind farm, generating electricity to power 60,000 homes around Southend, however the plans never came to fruition.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence (MOD) said: “Potton Island and Rushley Island have been declared surplus to operational need and, as such, we intend to dispose of both.

“We are currently working through this process.

“The islands are not yet on the market and any future use will be a matter for their new owners.”

The islands all form part of the Ministry of Defence land where weapons have been tested and secret activity has taken place in the national interest.