PLANS for a huge business park could create 1,500 jobs on Canvey, developers claim.

The Inner London Group has put forward plans to build the site on 20.6 acres of land south of Charfleets Industrial Estate.

The land would see new warehouses, offices, a car showroom, a hotel and parking for 560 cars created if Castle Point Council agrees to the proposals.

The proposed development, on two parcels of land opposite Morrisons in Northwick Road and off Roscommon Way, would be about 26,200 sq m of new units in total.

Wildlife campaigners had raised concerns over the impact on the environment if the plans go ahead, but early surveys have found no badgers living on the site.

Larry Smith, project manager for the Inner London Group, said: “A lot of people on Canvey will be employed at the unit, we’re looking at 750 jobs at each site.

“People need to understand there’s been a lot of work done on the site from an ecology point of view and working with Natural England.

“It’s been a lot of hard work and co-operation with planners and that needs to be understood.

“There’s been a big request for the units, if there wasn’t we wouldn’t be building them.

“People keep saying it’s an industrial estate, but this will be a business park.

“It covers a multitude of different businesses from offices to IT to manufacturing.

“We are very sensitive to people’s concerns.

“From an employment point of view, Canvey has employment issues and I think the vast majority of jobs will be people on the island.”

The plans will now be considered by Castle Point Council, which looked at them on Monday night.

Martin Tucker, councillor for Canvey North, said: “It’s going to be a massive development and I don’t know if the jobs created will go to local people.

“I’m reserving judgement on this, it’s not straight forward.

“The problem is all traffic goes to the one roundabout and with 560 car parking spaces going to the one roundabout, I don’t think we have the infrastructure to cope.”