CONFUSION and rows surrounding the proposed £800,000 revamp of Canvey Lake have already stalled progress for more than six months.

Castle Point Council is currently transfering management duties to Canvey Town Council after a 99-year lease was agreed back in January.

Yet the town council is still waiting for the final agreement to be signed before it can begin to apply for funding to improve the lake and its surroundings.

The aim is to dredge and re-stock the lake and sort out the children’s play area with extra seating and improved paths.

It has been agreed that two members of Castle Point Council and two town councillors should sit on a management committee chaired by a member of conservation charity Groundwork South Essex.

Castle Point Council wanted Peter Burch, member for leisure and environment, and Ray Howard, member for waste, to sit on the committee.

However, the town council thinks two cabinet members would give the borough council too much sway and would like to see one of the six Canvey councillors, who sit on the borough and town council, on the committee.

One of those, John Anderson, has been fighting to get the lake improved for four years. He said: “Castle Point Council hasn’t looked after the lake over the years.

“The town council and Groundwork have invested £5,000 each in drawing up plans and holding a consultation.”

Town councillors claim chairman Nick Harvey has contacted borough council leader Pam Challis by e-mail, but has had no reply.

However, Mrs Challis said the ball was in the town council’s court and the town council had not been in touch. She said: “We are sitting here with the lease and the management agreement and it is their difficulties with their town clerk that has held up the agreement.”

The town council’s clerk has been off sick for around two months.

Mrs Challis added: “It is not in the town council’s gift to object to who the borough council would like to see on the management committee, the same way as we cannot object to the town councillors they put forward.”