CASTLE Point MP Rebecca Harris says she is impressed with the progress that has been made with Canvey’s flood defences in the wake of the UK Met office releasing a study which warned of an increased risk of heavy winter downpours.

The study will clearly concern residents of the island who still recall the floods of 2014.

Using a super computer, researchers at the Met office discovered a number of months with a similar or more rainfall pattern to January 2014.

A number of roads and homes were flooded due to rainfall in 2014.

Following those downpours, a flood investigation report was carried out, calling for government funding to improve draining infrastructure.

However, Mrs Harris says she is pleased with the progress that has been made since, but wants the good work to continue.

She said: “Huge investment has gone in directly after 2014.

“This included upgrading pumping stations, back-up generators and overall maintenance.

She confirmed she has met with Therese Coffey, Under Secretary of State for the Environment, regarding the floods.

She said: “I spoke to Therese Coffey, and I’m trying to set up a date for her to visit Canvey, hopefully some time during the summer recess.

“I want to talk to her about the Canvey flooding and show her how we’ve progressed since.”

Mrs Harris added that littering also has a detrimental effect which could lead to potential flooding.

She added: “I think it’s important we remain proactive and educate people about drains and what happens when you drop litter.

“Dropping litter on Canvey has a much greater knock-on effect, especially if it clogs up the drains.”

A spokesperson from Southend Council said: “Whilst there is no suggestion in the data released that Southend will specifically be subjected to unprecedented rainfall this winter, we take any weather risk seriously and regularly monitor detailed weather mapping software to ensure that we are as prepared as we can be.

“We also work closely and proactively with other councils, the emergency services, the Environment Agency and Anglian Water, and our road and waste contractors to so that we are ready to react to any weather-related incidents that occur.

“In recent years we have also assisted over 120 flood-hit homes and businesses to have grant-funded flood-mitigation measures installed.

“We have put in new gullies and connections in a number roads across the borough, made highway and storm drainage related improvements, extended the drainage installations at City Beach and identified two strategic flood pumping locations in the central seafront area in liaison with the fire service.”

Martin Richardson, owner of the Happidrome on Southend seafront, expressed his concerns over potential flooding.

He said: I’m fearful every time it rains.

“It kills us a lot financially and also dealing with the associated stress.

“We’ve always had heavy rain and more needs to be done about the surface water.”

The latest Met Office study also showed a high risk of record-breaking rainfall in the coming decade.

Dr Vikki Thompson, the head author of the study, said: “We found many unprecedented events in the data and this comes out as a 7 per cent risk of a monthly record extreme in a given winter in the next few years, that’s just over South East England.”