WORK to build Tollgate Village could start in a year - if the plans are given the green light by the Government.

The £70million Stanway shopping village, proposed by the Tollgate Partnership, was turned down twice by Colchester Council last year but a planning appeal into the case was due to start today.

The seven day appeal will hear from experts on both sides on why the development should, and should not, go ahead.

Planning inspector Kenneth Barton is expected to make a decision on the plans in the spring which will have to be rubber-stamped by Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid in early summer.

Yesterday, a joint statement from partnership directors Jayne Gee and Daniel Watts said: “If the Secretary of State gives the go ahead by early summer, work on Tollgate Village could start in a year.

“We have been overwhelmed by public support from across Colchester. Thousands of people have lobbied the council, signed petitions and had their say.”

Gazette:

The partnership says the 20 acre scheme, which will also include restaurants and a multi-story car park, will create a total of 1,000 jobs, including in the project’s construction.

Mr Watts and Mrs Gee have also promised to pay for substantial road improvements in the area before any building begins.

Colchester Council turned down the plans, stating the scheme could cause a “decade of stagnation” in the town centre.

Bosses also said the land had been zoned for employment instead of retail and leisure, however that reason for refusal is not expected to be put forward by the council’s legal team after an inspector threw the defence out as a part of an appeal into plans for the nearby Stane Park last year.

An evening appeal session will take place on Thursday at the Moot Hall, in Colchester Town Hall, between 7pm and 10pm to allow people to have their say on the project outside of working hours.

The Tollgate appeal: what you need to know

How did we get here?

THE long-awaited appeal into the controversial Tollgate Village will begin today.

Tollgate Partnership Limited wants to build a £70million leisure and retail complex on land north and south of Tollgate West, in Stanway.

The plans include a cinema, shops and restaurants as well as a multi-storey car park. 

Last year, the partnership's proposals were refused by Colchester Council twice. 

This appeal relates to the first of the refusals, in February 2016. 

A second application was submitted, and refused, late last year. It will not form part of this appeal. 

Plans to build the shopping and leisure village were first lodged in February 2015 after partnership bosses held lengthy talks with Colchester Council planning staff as well as Stanway residents. 

The case against it

COLCHESTER Council bosses say the scale of the Tollgate scheme is such that it will "inevitably" harm Colchester town centre, which is accepted as the borough's main retail area. 

In essence, they say if Tollgate Village was to go ahead, it would be to the detriment of the town centre.

As a consequence, the council says planned investment in the town centre will be "seriously prejudiced" and future investor confidence will be harmed.

It fears the town centre will "stagnate for at least ten years" as a result a diversion of footfall away from the town centre.

The council's case states Colchester town centre "will fall behind its regional competitors as they continue to invest in their town centres".

The council is expected to point to the progress of retail-led Vineyard Gate shopping centre, which was first mooted almost 15 years ago, and the leisure scheme which were approved for the Northern Gateway last year.

The Vineyard Gate proposals were shelved when the economic downturn hit.

Despite initial developer Caddick Construction signalling a renewed interest in 2012, the project has never got off the ground. 

But last year Colchester Council bought the property Caddick owned in the area, signalling an end to that partnership.

Parts of the Northern Gateway scheme, including for 12 restaurants and cafes, have been given planning permission. 

A separate application, for a state-of-the-art 4DX Cineworld, will go before the council's planning committee separately this year.

The case for it

TOLLGATE Village bosses say the £70million development will add to the "booming" Colchester borough.

The company behind the plan, Tollgate Partnership Limited, has maintained it is not against the town centre, or any development at Vineyard Gate, and there is room in the borough for a number of retail and leisure developments.

Tollgate Partnership directors Jayne Gee and Daniel Watts have also revealed they had offered Colchester Council a legal non-poaching agreement, which would mean Tollgate Village would not try to entice retailers already in the town centre.

They have also claimed to have had talks with Colchester Council in a bid to be involved with Vineyard Gate but council decision-makers were "not interested in moving forward with a local company".

Experts say the development would bring £17million-a-year into Colchester because more people would shop in the borough rather than going to Chelmsford or Ipswich. 

In total 1,000 jobs would be created, including construction roles. 

Part of the Tollgate Village plans also include widening some junctions around Tollgate, adding additional pedestrian crossings along Tollgate West and widening parts of Tollgate West and Tollgate Road. 

Other measures are also planned to ease pressure on the Stanway/A12 junction roundabout. 

The directors have pledged to carry out the road improvements before any development takes place at Tollgate. 

In a joint statement, Mrs Gee and Mr Watts said: “We have listened during our extensive consultations with local people and we have then taken expert advice to ensure we can make even more positive changes to support our fast-growing Borough. 

"This is a brownfield site an includes the former Sainsbury’s which has been derelict for years since the Council blocked its reuse."

What will happen at the appeal?

THE seven-day hearing begins today and will conclude next Thursday, January 19.

Each session will take place at Colchester Town Hall, in High Street.

There will be a late session, between 7pm and 10pm on Thursday, in the Moot Hall, which gives people the chance to have their say outside of working hours. 

Many speakers have already given notice of their intention to speak but the public submissions can still be made by emailing leanne.palmer@pins.gsi.gov.uk. 

The inspector is expected to outline the case and how he will make his decision, before the council, the Tollgate Partnership and other interested parties will take centre stage. 

The inspector will not be sitting on January 16. 

Once the appeal hearing has closed, the inspector is expected to come to a decision during the spring.

That decision will still have to approved, in early summer, personally by Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. 

It is unclear how quickly work would start should the development get the green light. 

We will be there!

Gazette reporters will be at the appeal hearing to bring you all the important and up-to-date news.

Readers' views are welcomed and will be included in our online coverage, which will also include a poll.