Residents at Thorney Bay have raised concerns about the future of their tenancy at the caravan site.

People living at the site for mobile homes feel as though they have been left in the dark by the developers of the new Sandy Bay development which is due to replace part of the Thorney Bay site.

Although the residents have not been asked to leave yet, they are concerned that it could happen eventually and want a fair amount of advance notice if it does.

Julie Sopher, 51, a resident at Thorney Bay, said: “There’s about 1,000 caravans on the site with roughly a couple of people in each. 

“So about 2,000 people are going to have to leave at once.

“I want to know one way or the other if we are going to get kicked off the site.

“We don’t want to be told 18 months down the line that everybody only has six weeks to move out.

“At the end of the day, Castle Point Council can’t support all the homelessness on Canvey.”

Sharon Wood, 42, also a resident at Thorney Bay, added: “I just think that it’s disgusting they’re not telling us. 

“There are people here on oxygen who are really ill and they can’t move just like that.

“My husband is disabled and he will struggle to move home. It’s just not right.”

Mrs Sopher, Mrs Wood and a few other residents at Thorney Bay are in the process of drawing up a petition which they are going to take around the site for people to sign.

They also plan to start hosting community meetings in order to build momentum.

What they want is clarity on the issue, and they are worried that people renting caravans on the Thorney Bay site could end up with only a few weeks to find somewhere new to live.

Lee Skinner, who is overseeing the Sandy Bay development, has said that people on the site will not be forced to leave now, but cannot confirm whether this will be the case a year or two down the line.

He said: “We are not aware of anybody asking us this question.”

“There is no intention of moving anybody from the site now. But people on Thorney Bay are on licences for rental property.

“You get a licensed property that you rent and as a landlord, if we are to change we will give the correct legal notice.”

Sandy Bay is an upcoming development exclusively for people aged over 50 years.

The new site will include 92 two-bedroom bungalows costing between £259,995 and £299,995.

The site will also feature a clubhouse with a restaurant, cafe, bar and convenience store, an indoor swimming pool, spa and gym complex, a gated entrance with 24-hour security and maintenance teams.

Planning permission was not needed for the Sandy Bay development because they are classified as mobile homes.