THORNEY Bay beach is set for a £1.7 million makeover with plans for a new cafe and extended car park.
Castle Point Council has submitted a new planning application to deliver a new pavilion building and car park extension after a previous bid to redevelop the seafront failed during the coronavirus pandemic.
The plans call for the construction of a new café pavilion, with a first floor with a commercial space and a viewing platform at terrace level, and new public toilets.
The existing car park will be expanded with 44 new spaces and the dike path will be widened.
Cafe plans (Image: Castle Point Council)
“It’s been a long time coming but this project will be a huge boost for the area and help make Canvey a place where people come for a day at the beach again,” said Caveny Island South councillor, Barry Campaign.
“The area has been in need of regeneration to spruce it up and make it a nicer place to visit, and these plans will do just that,” added the Canvey Island Independent Party councillor.
Cafe Observation Deck (Image: Castle Point Council)
The scheme, which will cost £1.72m in total, will be part-funded by a £1.52m Coastal Communities Fund grant.
Proposals to regenerate Thorney Bay beach were mooted in 2019 but fell through during the pandemic as costs soared.
The council decided to redesign the pavilion and omit elements of the design that were considered “high risk”.
The plans show the location of the new cafes and parking spaces (Image: Castle Point Council)
But the project is back on track as the council aims to return Caveny’s seafront to its glory days as a popular tourist destination.
“Since its greatest popularity and success in the 1960s, Canvey Island has suffered from a lack of investment in its public realm,” the planning documents say.
The existing car park (Image: Castle Point Council)
“As a result, the area has experienced a significant decline, as the existing infrastructure has suffered widespread deterioration.
“Despite this, the outstanding effort of local volunteers, also supported by initiatives of the City Council, the town hall and local businesses, has sown a renaissance of the seafront area, as it is proving to be increasingly popular among young families and seniors looking for a relaxed experience in nearby Southend.
“This project forms the first part of a phased strategy to regenerate Canvey Island’s seafront to build on these early efforts and put in place appropriate infrastructure that will support a visitor experience commensurate with a waterfront destination sea of the 21st century”.