PLANNED improvements to Canvey Lake may take up to five years to complete, according to the town council.

But its chairman John Anderson stressed to the public it hoped to do the work in three.

The council is planning to refurbish the lake and the surrounding area by putting in a cycle path, children’s play park and new plants and flowers.

Mr Anderson said: “There are lots of official channels we as the council must go through, as we must have permission to work and remove silt from the lake.

“It is a slow process, and I never said it would be a fast one.

“We have a three-year programme at the moment, but things might change as the Government is about to announce spending cuts in local government, which could make things harder.”

At present, the council is awaiting results from a survey on the lake, conducted by a private company. The survey looked at the silt quality and what would need to be done to dredge it.

Results are expected to be released on September 21.

Until the results of the survey are known, by-laws affecting fishing on the lake will not be finalised.

Fishermen wanting to use the lake for sport have been limited to using just one third of the water after complaints were sent in to the council by members of the public. People complained anglers using the lake were rude, were littering and making too much noise at night.

The by-laws currently state removing fish or injuring the creatures living in the lake is banned, but fishing itself is not prohibited.

The council is looking at redefining the by-laws to make them less ambiguous.

Members of the Canvey Island Coarse Angling Club believe the ban is unfair, and protested in July by holding a fishing competition in the banned part of the water.