ACCESS to a gas plant on Canvey is set to be improved in a bid to stop huge tankers driving through the island’s residential streets.

Energy giant Calor Gas has submitted plans to create a new private access road to its storage terminal in Thames Road to link up to the £18.5million Roscommon Way extension.

Around 120,000 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas are imported to the plant every year.
Heavy duty lorries are forced to navigate through the island’s narrow streets, and past a school, to access the plant as there currently is no direct access route.

In a report to the council, agent Dalton Warner Davis, who assisted Calor with the application, said: “Thorney Bay Road and Thames Road, in particular, are narrow residential streets and road tankers are required to directly pass by the front of residential properties, close to a school and manoeuvre around parked cars before being able to enter the terminal. This arrangement is far from ideal in terms of both public safety and highway safety.

“The new access road would enable tankers to access the terminal via the recently completed Roscommon Way, removing this traffic from the residential roads and area of Canvey.”

The company, which is the leading supplier of liquefied natural gas in the UK, is one of only eight refineries in the country supplying the fuel.

Keith Barber, of Clinton Road, Canvey, said: "Those tankers are far too big to go down some of the roads on the island.

"Some of the junctions are just so tight, it's dangerous. This is really good news and shows good initiative from Calor to do this."

The extension of Roscommon Way, which opened in January, was built to allow better access to industrial sites on the island.

County councillor Ray Howard, who has consulted with Calor on the plans, said: “I am in no way an extremist but it has been a big concern that these huge tankers carrying these large amounts of fuel were having to turn through tight junctions.

“This is such good news for all the residents living in that area who currently have to put up with the noise and congestion on the roads. By rerouting the tankers through Roscommon Way, it will remove this problem completely.”

The matter will be debated by Castle Point Council’s development control committee in the next few weeks.