CARAVAN park residents claim they are being pushed out in favour of a posher luxury development.

About 600 residents have been left fearing for the future and where they will live with their homes at Thorney Bay Village expected to be demolished or towed away.

In its place will be luxury alternatives described by Lee Skinner, who is overseeing the project as an “upmarket Centre Parcs”.

Julie Stopher, who has lived at the site for six years, said: “They’re not telling us exactly when we all have to leave.

“It’s very unsettling.

“I would rather know so we can work on that and start planning for our future.

“Where can they put so many people on housing benefit if they no longer want us here?”

Caravans in one section were moved to a different field so gas pipes could be laid down.

“Wherever they have empty plots, they’re moving people over from one field to another to make way.

Another resident, who complained on social media about the lack of repairs has been ordered to leave within weeks.

He said: “They will have to go to court to get me out.”

A spokesman for the new Sandy Bay development said: “As we move caravans off, everyone will be given six months notice, which is twice as long as the legal requirement. And most of the people living at Thorney Bay are on monthly contracts.”

No planning permission was required for the Sandy Bay development to go ahead, but councillor Barry Palmer for Canvey South says concerns for the future fate of the caravan residents have been raised at a number of meetings.

He said: “We are wondering what’s going to happen to those poor people.

“The council and borough were putting people on that site because they didn’t have anywhere else to put them – and now, those people are just going to turn up at the housing department.

“A lot of them came from East End boroughs, which was a bit much because we have our own problems.”

Councillor Palmer added that as the housing department already has a long waiting list, the eviction of Thorney Bay’s council tenants could result in more homelessness.