A former councillor says Canvey is desperately in need of upgraded drains to prevent flash flooding similar to scenes in 2014 when 1,000 properties were flooded.

Ray Howard, who spent 43 years of his 51 as a councillor on the county’s flood defence committee, issued the warning ahead of a project to ‘future proof’ the island from flooding.

The area has a long history of flooding. In 2014 torrential downpour saw 1,000 homes flooded and Southend Hospital’s A&E department partly evacuated.

In 1953 ‘the great flood’, caused by a tidal surge and storms in the North Sea, claimed 59 lives.

READ MORE: 2014 flash flooding causes chaos in Canvey and Southend

READ MORE: Looking back at the Great Flood of 1953

However, Mr Howard says improvements made in the 70s and 80s to defences along the Thames have greatly reduced the risks of further tidal flooding.

He says the threat now facing Canvey is that of flash flooding caused by heavy rain.

“My concern today is flash flooding. In my time on the flood committee, I persistently raised concerns about drains being maintained poorly,” he explained.

“We are in a situation where I am satisfied with our tide defences. What I am wary of is flash flooding, where we can get a month rainfall in a few hours, like we had in 2014 where we had four inches of rain in just over an hour.

“We need efficient, modern drains that can cater for surface water and we need an investment scheme to make sure this happens now.”

His comments come as environmental charity Thames 21 announced an initiative to involve residents in Canvey’s flood prevention policy.

The project is one of eight Building Resilience in Flood Disadvantaged Communities (BRIC) pilots across the UK and France

Elaine De Can, Town Clerk at Canvey Island Town Council, said: “The BRIC project is a great initiative and an opportunity for Canvey residents and community groups to have an input into building resilience against the island’s flooding issues.”

Debbie Leach, CEO at Thames21, added: “Flooding can have a devastating impact on communities. We are delighted to have this chance to use our extensive experience working in communities to help Canvey Island’s residents come together, map out the problems and co-design solutions with those who provide flood risk management services.”

Residents are invited to meet Thames21’s engagement officers at the Knightswick Shopping Centre Market on Thursday, September 16 and at the Canvey Island Town Council offices on Thursday, October 14, both between 10am and 3pm.