The Castle Point Plan

Waste & Recycling collections across the Easter period will be normal the week of Good Friday and one day late on the week of Easter Monday (21 April).

Environment Agency Notice

This webpage’s content is produced by the Environment Agency and kindly hosted by the Castle Point Borough Council - This page will be updated by the project between April to September 2025 only

Flood risks on Canvey Island

Is Canvey Island at risk of flooding from the sea?

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. This risk is managed by 14 miles (23km) of tidal defences which provide a very high standard of protection and were built in response to the last tidal flood event to impact the Island in 1953.

Can flooding occur from other sources?

There are no natural streams or rivers on Canvey Island. Instead, the Island has a complex and interlinked network of surface water sewers, open and culverted ditches, ponds, and pumping stations. Rainfall runoff is collected and channeled to the pumping stations and gravity outfalls around the edge of the Island and pumped or drained out to the Thames estuary. Flooding can occur if the amount of rain falling is greater than the capacity of the entire drainage network. This last happened on:

  • 24th August 2013 - widespread flash flooding including highways flooding in Maurice Avenue and Roggel Road / 
    Sprundal Road impacting at least 50 properties.
  • 20th July 2014 - Intense rainfall across south Essex led to widespread flooding of roads and impacted over 200 
    properties. During the peak of the rainfall, 100 mm fell during a four-hour period which has a 0.3% chance of 
    occurring in any one year and is considered an exceptionally severe event.

Who is responsible for managing flood risk on Canvey Island?

  • (1) Essex County Council Highways is responsible for public highways
  • (2,4) Anglian water is responsible for public sewers 
  • (3,4,5) Homeowners/landowners are responsible for private drainage, such as gutters, downpipes and drains that serve one property as well as watercourses within land ownership boundaries
  • (4,5) Essex County Council LLFA is responsible for groundwater, surface water, ordinary watercourse
  • (4,5) Castle Point Borough Council is responsible for ordinary watercourses
  • (6,7) Environment Agency is responsible for the sea and main river watercourses

Mp showing who is responsible for what