BEACH LOVERS are furious as plans to make a “dangerous” tidal pool safer have stalled for almost a year.

The seafront paddling pool, one of two along Concord Beach off Eastern Esplanade, Canvey, underwent a £250,000 revamp in 2007.

However, last January Castle Point Council conceded it would have to spend £28,000 undoing the work as it caused the pool to become covered in slime and several people to slip and hurt themselves.

Anger is mounting as almost a year has passed and the work has yet to begin, despite assurances the project would start last September.

Barry Palmer, of Linden Way, Canvey, who is part of the Friends of Concord Beach volunteer group, said: “It was supposed to start months ago but they’ve not done anything at all. It is so dangerous down there, the rocks are so slippery where they are covered in seaweed and algae and there are no railings to stop people falling.

“The renovations were such a waste of money and it’s about time the work was reversed.”

The local authority agreed to remove the concrete base and create a drainage channel to prevent the pool retaining water at low tide, which it is hoped will stop the marine algae building up.

Ambitious plans were in the pipeline for the campaign group to install new benches and paint a mural on the sea wall in memory of the 58 people who tragically lost their lives in the North Sea Flood in 1953.

It was hoped the mural would be finished in time for the 60th anniversary of the disaster later this month, however members have had to postpone the project due to the delays to the tidal pool work.

Mr Palmer added: “All our plans are up in the air at the moment until this work is complete which is frustrating. We want to make that part as nicer but we can’t start anything until we know what’s going on.”

A spokeswoman from the council said: “The council was awaiting a report commissioned from a specialist marine engineer to be sure that nothing is done that would impact adversely on the beach area or cafe .

“Now that we have this report we are arranging a meeting with contractors to programme the works.”