A £140,000 consultation on the future of Canvey has been stalled...because of another consultation on the future of the island's schools.

Castle Point Council employed consultants Urban Initiatives to produce a plan for the future of Canvey more than 18 months ago.

An interim report was published almost a year ago and its final analysis was expected last summer, but the council says the recent Canvey schools consultation outcome has now changed the plans.

A spokesman said: "Since Urban Initiatives started there have beenquite a few changes because of the schools consultation, which has changed things on the island.

"The schools consultation will now help formulate the Canvey plan."

The recently concluded £13,000 consultation on Canvey schools resulted in the least favoured option of closing Furtherwick Park School being adopted by Essex County Council.

Dave Blackwell, leader of the Canvey Independent Party said: "The outcome of the consultation was a foregone conclusion.

"They had already decided on which option they preferred so they must have known what was going to happen on Canvey before Urban Initiatives started.

"It is just an excuse."

Urban Initiatives met with members from the community in a forum called Island Team, to discuss how residents wanted the island to look in years to come.

Some members of Island Team, who met consultants, believed Canvey's future had already been decided.

Peter May, now a Canvey Independent councillor for Central Ward said: "I was allowed to attend because I wasn't a councillor at the time.

"I didn't go to the last couple of meetings because I felt we were being directed in a certain way and not really listened to.

"They knew what they wanted then so I feel it should have been finished. They should have given a full presentation by now. I don't know what the delay is."

An interim report published in March last year proposed building 2,000 new homes on the island.

Urban Initiatives also suggested development at the Paddocks Community Centre site, in Long Road, and moving the Point Industrial Estate to Charfleets to free up more land for homes.

But rather more bizarrely, the consultants' ideas include two blue illuminated columns marking the entrance to the island, and a cable car from Canvey to Hadleigh Castle country park as an alternative to a third access road.

The whole project is expected to be kick-started with a £1million grant from Thames Gateway.