Canvey Island risks to London and the Thames estuary area. It is proposed that the western side of Canvey is developed as a site which is either temporarily flooded at times of risk, or transformed into a permanent wetland. Developments in the 20th century have produced a marked contrast between the environments in the east and west of the island. The eastern half of the island is allocated to residential areas, the main public amenities and a small holiday camp and seafront, while the western half of the island is mainly farmland, marshes and industrial areas. The marshes in the west include
Canvey Island Independent Party to form the local government district and borough of Castle Point, ending Canvey Island's existence as a separate entity in local government. The Canvey Island Independents were established in 2004 to campaign for a return to Canvey Island's autonomy, which had been abolished 32 years previously. They argued that the current local government arrangements - which saw more councillors elected to the Borough Council from the mainland - were unfair to the residents of Canvey Island. They also campaigned for more power to be devolved to Canvey Island Town Council, a parish council subordinate to Castle Point which is responsible