I have campaigned for a Third Road off Canvey throughout my entire time as the MP for Castle Point and it remains one of my top priorities. With new jobs at the DP World Port and the development of the old Coryton site, plus the economic disadvantage of regular gridlock on Canvey, I believe the economic case for a Third Road is compelling. I have consistently called for a Third Road and over the years had many meetings to try to get the project off the ground.
I lobbied the then Leader of Castle Point Council to set up the Third Road Taskforce and bring Essex County Council as the highways authority for Canvey and Thurrock as the highways authority for Coryton around the table. He agreed, and in April 2022 a Castle Point Borough Council led taskforce was set up and the Councils had agreed to take part to work up proposals, as did the South Basildon and East Thurrock MP Stephen Metcalfe. Named the ‘Canvey West Access Taskforce’, its aim was to come up with a fully costed proposal and business plan for another access that I could then take to the Government and lobby for the funding to make it happen.
A new administration made up of a coalition between the Canvey Island Independent Party and The People’s Independent Party took over at Castle Point Borough Council in May 2022 and I am sorry to say that they have not held a single taskforce meeting since. This is a source of great frustration to myself and many residents, as we had all the right people sitting around the table to get a workable proposal together and yet the opportunity to get moving on it over 18 months ago was wasted. In fairness, Castle Point Borough Council have stated they are now pursuing a third access via the Association of South Essex Local Authorities. I am afraid however I have not seen any evidence that the matter is progressing.
It is clear a third access for the island is needed, and I as the local MP continue to stand ready to go into bat for the funding with the Government when a business case and plan has been put together. I am afraid however that that plan must come from the group of local authorities that would need to be involved and I have seen no sign of that happening any time soon.
In October 2019, I held a joint meeting with Essex County Council in Parliament. I convinced the Business Minister of the case and he's agreed it should happen and has told the Department of Transport he is backing it. With that green light I wanted to pull together a Taskforce to drive the project forward.
Previously in 2016 I met with the Chancellor, along with other South Essex MPs, at Number 11 to discuss infrastructure needs for the region. I was delighted that the Chancellor raised the issue of a third road for Canvey when I spoke with him. I successfully lobbied the previous Chancellor, George Osborne, to include a commitment to ‘look at the case for the Canvey Island Third Road’ in the 2016 Budget. I have encouraged Essex County Council to make the economic case to the Treasury for the project following the announcement in the Budget. As the lead highways authority, Essex County Council is responsible for delivering major highways projects across Essex.
Before that in 2013 I hosted the Ministerial visit of Brandon Lewis MP to Canvey to see James Heyes Recycling, Thames Ambulance Group and talk about the campaign for the all-important Third Road off Canvey. Communities and Local Government Minister Brandon Lewis MP visited two private firms with public contracts on Canvey and to hear the economic and regeneration case for the third road off of Canvey Island.
The Minister visited the family run James Heyes Reycling on Northwick Road which holds many contracts for waste recycling across Essex before visiting a possible site for a third road at the end of Northwick Road. He then met Directors and employees of the Thames Ambulance Group at their HQ on Charfleets industrial estate before meeting the Leader and Chief Executive of Castle Point Borough Council to hear the technical regeneration case for a third road first hand.
Following that I also secured a meeting with local Councillors and Council officials to discuss the matter at the Department of Transport with the Secretary of State.
