PROGRESS on refurbishing Canvey’s war memorial is at last being made after a new committee took over the project.

Plans for the memorial, at the Paddocks Community Centre, have been on hold for almost two years because the designs were rejected by Castle Point Council, which owns the land.

The original designs, which featured soldiers with guns, were put forward by Canvey’s War Memorial Fund, which dissolved because of a lack of progress.

A new group, the Canvey Island War Memorial Committee, has been formed and will come up with fresh designs in the coming months.

Neville Watson, a member of the new committee and a Canvey borough councillor, said: “Councillors change, officers change, but this memorial will last forever.

“We all have to work together to make sure the memorial is refurbished, because it’s vital for the island and the soldiers and former soldiers that live here.”

Four years ago, veterans raised £9,500 to refurbish the memorial, which is a brick wall featuring a marble plaque.

They wanted to restore a brass plaque from the original monument, which was located at the junction of Craven Avenue and Long Road.

When the memorial was moved to the Paddocks, the brass plaque was kept at the headquarters of the Royal British Legion, in Denham Road, and has been there ever since.

The veterans also wanted to add black marble insets on either side of the monument and engrave them with the names of the 69 Canvey servicemen who died in the two world wars, as well as two servicemen killed in other conflicts.

However, the plans stalled because of the council’s concerns about images of weaponry included in the design.

The new committee, which has received the previous group’s funds, hopes to retain many of the old proposals, but will leave out the military images.

It is considering other motifs, including a carving of a poppy and a rising sun to be engraved at the base of the memorial.

Angie Wynn, 65, secretary of the new committee, said: “Sometimes, when you change things, it’s the fresh ideas that make the difference.

“We have good relations with the council and we hope to produce designs that work for everyone.”