Today Rebecca Harris MP was invited to inspect the progress on the Environment Agency’s £75 million project to renew Canvey’s sea defences along the south of the island.

The ‘Canvey Island Southern Shoreline Revetment Project’ is one of the largest such projects the Environment Agency are currently carrying out in the UK. It is also the single largest investment in Canvey Island's tidal defences since they were completed in the early 1980s. The renewing and improving of the revetment on the seaward face of the tidal defences will take place along a 3km stretch between Thorney Bay and the Island Yacht Club.

The project is designed to make sure the island remains free from the risk of tidal flooding until at least 2070. As well as upgrading a 2-mile stretch of the revetment, it also involves the replacement of the older parts of the flood defences that were put in place in the 1930s. Work started on the project in January and is due to be completed in the Autumn of 2025.

Canvey Island is very low lying with ground levels nearly two metres below the daily high tide level in the Thames estuary. This means that the entire island is at risk of tidal flooding which could impact more than 15,000 residential properties and this scheme will directly benefit over 6,000 of those residential properties. The £75 million investment is funded by the Government through the ‘Flood Defence Grant-In-Aid’ program.

Rebecca Harris Commented:

“I am very impressed with the works so far and I am pleased that they are currently on schedule. I am also very pleased that the Environment Agency are continuing to actively communicate with the community with their regular public drop-ins and a weekly opportunity for Canvey residents to meet with the leaders of the project.”

You can find out more information on the works via the Environment Agency’s dedicated website for the project at: https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/east-anglia-c-e/canvey-southern-shoreline-project/.