INTERNET shopping giant Amazon was interested in opening a depot at a former printing plant, it has emerged.

Amazon, which is soon due to open a new packing warehouse in Tilbury, had considered Colchester’s former Polestar site for another warehouse.

Instead, the international firm - with a revenue of around 135 billion US dollars - found a site it preferred in Ipswich.

The news emerged after plans were put forward to transform the Polestar site in Wyncolls Road, Colchester, into a car sales site.

If approved, applicants Dunedin Property say 25 jobs would be created.

The three-acre site has been empty after Polestar closed in 2014.

Christopher McGough, who is the agent for the applicant, said no particular car manufacturer was set for the site yet.

However, the likelihood is the firm would not be one of the many already established in the Ipswich Road area of Colchester.

He said: “The owners feel it doesn’t hurt to broaden the range of users that would be permissible at the site.

“We are not looking at getting a replacement industrial tenant like Polestar was.

“It has been marketed for a year and there has been one real expression of interest which came from Amazon but they went to a preferred location in Ipswich.”

The planning application with Colchester Council is seeking permission to extend the use of the site.

As well as car sales, the site could offer MOT testing and servicing.

About 100 Polestar staff were laid off on Christmas Eve 2014 and office staff met the same fate a week later, on New Year’s Eve.

Highwoods ward councillor Gerard Oxford said he was “delighted” the site would be occupied and create jobs.

In 2012, staff had accepted a ten per cent pay cut to keep its magazine printing plants open.

Polestar employed 75 people in its binding plant and 30 more at its press.

In the past, it printed the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine, women’s mag, Best, and lads’ mag Nuts.

Amazon declined to comment.

The council has a target determination date of April 30.