A SENIOR councillor is calling for an in depth survey to be carried out to assess the condition of Canvey’s road network.

Concerned residents claim the road infrastructure on the island is at breaking point, as major roads such as Canvey Way, Somnes Avenue and Long Road as well as key junctions such as Sadlers Farm and Waterside Farm roundabout are regularly at a standstill.

Fears are the situation will only get worse as in the next five years Castle Point Council anticipates building 449 homes on the island as part of their development strategy for the borough.

More homes are also in the pipeline as prospective plans for 700 homes at Thorney Bay Caravan Park and Point Road have already been approved.

Now, Dave Blackwell, leader of the Canvey Independent Party, says conducting a detailed survey of the road network should be made the top priority in 2013 if new homes are on the horizon.

He said: “I have been absolutely inundated with emails and phone calls from people complaining about the terrible traffic on the roads. People are shouting from the rooftops Canvey’s roads can’t take any more large scale developments, so it’s about time an in depth survey was done to really assess just how our roads are doing.

“Everyone who lives here knows what they are like, and doing this would prove it once and for all. Before any more homes are built we need new roads.”

This comes after Rebecca Harris, Tory MP for Castle Point lobbied the Government in the House of Commons to change planning laws requiring infrastructure to be in place before major developments are approved.

In October, an exclusive Echo investigation revealed seven out of nine GP practices on the island were oversubscribed by in some cases up to 770 patients over the national average.

Essex County Council also confirmed the schools would not be able to cope with the additional pupils.

Mrs Harris said: “This is a huge issue in Castle Point. Often what statutory consultees such as the utility companies and the Highways Agency assure people is sustainable for the local infrastructure, does not tie up with the reality of people’s everyday existence on the ground.

“A lot of MPs share this concern that developments should only be approved where the infrastructure is in place to cope with more homes.”