CONCERNED residents believe road resurfacing work on a Canvey estate could lead to blocked drains.

Work on all roads on the Castle View estate took place in the third week of April.

But it has led to loose stones and chippings being kicked up, which residents fear could cause drainage problems on the floodprone estate.

Neville Watson, councillor for Canvey Winter Gardens, said he had been contacted by several unhappy residents.

He said: “There are stone chips everywhere and it looks likeaslap-dash job.

“There have been lots of resident complaints and they are really fed up.

“How many of these stone chips have gone down the drains? This is an area which was particularly badly flooded.”

But resident Allan Taylor, of Hardys Way, was hopeful the issue will be solved within the next few weeks.

He said: “The maintenance crew couldn’t have been better and they covered the drains while they carried out the work.

“In the beginning, it looked a mess and people were comparing the new road to the pavement in terms of colour, but I told them it will blend in.

“The workers came round with a sweeper later and took away all the loose stuff.”

An Essex Highways spokesman said: “We resurfaced all the roads on the estate using a standard process called micro-surfacing.

“It takes around three weeks until any loose chippings are fully cleared. However, we speed this procedure up by sweeping the new surface two or three times.

“We will be returning to the estate in the near future to complete the final manhole cover and surface drain raising work and replace road lining.”

  • Neville Watson is the Canvey Independent Party candidate for Winter Gardens ward at the Castle Point Council elections. Pat Haunts (Conservative) and Maggie McArthur-Curtis (Labour) are also standing for election in the ward.