A NEW 1,000-acre country park could be created on West Canvey.

Castle Point Council is planning to bring together the 800-acre RSPB-owned area in Canvey Marshes with the adjoining 250-acre site at Canvey Wick, which is considered one of the most bio-diverse areas in the UK.

The proposals were revealed as part of the council’s open spaces strategy, which outlines future plans for parks, wildlife areas and outdoor leisure facilities throughout the borough.

At the moment, details of the park are sketchy, but the strategy hopes work will get under way after 2013.

Peter Burch, the councillor responsible for leisure and open spaces, said: “We want to find out what residents want from the country park.

“It may be they just want a green area to ramble in or somewhere with specific facilities such as walkways and play areas similar to Wat Tyler in Pitsea.”

The Canvey Wick site, behind Morrisons supermarket in Northwick Road, is a site of special scientific interest and is likely to be a big draw.

Canvey Wick, which is joint owned by Castle Point Council, the Environment Agency and Morrisons, was created when part of the Thames was dredged to make way for an oil refinery that was never commissioned.

A survey by conservation group Buglife revealed the area has more bio-diversity per square foot than any other site in the UK and it is also home to many rare species of invertebrates.

Jamie Roberts, conservation project manager of Buglife, said: “We always knew Canvey Wick was going to be made open to the public and we are supportive of any moves, provided the site’s tremendous array of wildlife is undamaged.”

One large stumbling block to the proposals could be Environment Agency plans to flood Canvey Marshes as part of plans to improve flood defences in the Thames Estuary.

This would involve allowing seawater into the area and would ruin the RSPB’s plans to make it a freshwater wildlife reserve.

Mr Burch said: “We are consulting with the public so when we speak to the Environment Agency we can say this is what people in the borough want.

“If they do decide to flood it, then we will have to go back to the drawing board and look at other possible sites.

“There is the possibility they will only flood part of the marshes, which could still leave a large area that could be used as country park.”

The results of a consultation on the Environment Agency plans will be released on Tuesday, March 31. Until then, the agency has said it will not comment on what it plans to do.

The council’s open spaces strategy can be seen at: www. castlepoint.limehouse.co.uk/portal/