CASTLE Point council has flatly denied there is a plan to build more than 30 new homes on the site of a much-loved Canvey community centre.

The council has categorically said “there are no plans” in place for a rumoured 34 homes to be built on the site of The Paddocks in Long Road.

David Marchant, chief executive of the council, said: “No. There are no plans in the process of being drawn up for 34 homes at the Paddocks site.

“The current position is as per the January’s Cabinet report a detailed business case is to be prepared for a new community hall on the Paddocks site.”

However, residents are sceptical.

Linda Norton, 64, believes there are secret plans in place for a new set of houses. She has expressed deep disappointment at the idea.

She said: “The plans are being drawn up as they have not maintained the Paddocks for around 15 years.

“If Canvey was a village on the main land, they would not have done this to us.

“They are knocking down all of our history. All we have now is flats on Canvey.”

Fears were raised by Canvey residents after the council begun working on plans to build a new community centre in place of the Paddocks.

The council predicted it would cost around £1.6million to refurbish the dilapidated centre.

It instead opted for replacing the hall and then tearing it down after the new centre is ready. About 150 residents flocked to a meeting about the hot topic in October last year.

By that time, Castle Point Council had spent around £15,000 reviewing the community centre.

Some residents felt the “inflated” £1.6million figure was being used to justify the council refuted plans to build housing on the Paddocks site.

Mrs Norton said that the Paddocks is too big a part of the community for it to be knocked down.

She said: “I spoke to younger residents today who said that they did not want to see the Paddocks get knocked down, it is historic.

“The public on Canvey do not want it, if they were going to put a trauma unit there, that would be great, but not more houses.”