MORE than 1,000 people have signed a petition for a new football pitch.

Canvey Island Youth FC’s current ground, at the bottom of Haven Road, is facing destruction as a new £12million road is set to plough straight through it.

Landowners, National Grid, has offered the club an alternative pitch at the top of Haven Road, and has made a planning application to Castle Point Council.

But many residents living in Coker Road and Ormsby Road have objected to the pitch being located so close to their homes.

The Health and Safety Executive is also opposed to both the pitch and the new road, an extension of Roscommon Way which will link Northwick roundabout with Haven Road. It says the road will run over two major gas pipelines, making it dangerous.

Undeterred members of the club’s under-10s team hit the streets of Canvey town centre at the weekend to drum up support.

Vice chairman Michael O’Brien said: “The response from the community was overwhelming.

“We collected just over 1,000 signatures in an hour and 15 minutes. It was unbelievable.

“We had people queuing up to sign the petition.”

Rita Gates, of Haven Road, has collected more than 60 signatures for a petition against the proposed football pitch.

She said: “No-one is saying they shouldn’t have a pitch, we are just saying it should be further down the road. There’s around a hundred acres of National Grid land down there.

“We are concerned about the environmental damage from the loss of trees.”

The club wants the application to be decided by councillors at the next planning committee on Tuesday, June 2.

But the decision will be taken by a single council officer as the HSE’s objection means the council has little choice under planning law but to reject the scheme.

It would then be up to the applicant to appeal, or to resolve any issues and reapply.