FRESH plans for a new town on the outskirts of Colchester show its “district centre”

will be built on Clingoe Hill.

The rethink means, for the first time, part of the 9,000-home town could be built south of the A133.

Opponents branded the scheme a “mega city” saying it will swamp Wivenhoe.

Leading members of Colchester Council, who commissioned town planning consultancy David Lock Associates to come up with plans, suggested they go back to the drawing board.

Wivenhoe Mayor Asa Aldis criticised the proposed 100 homes per hectare density in places.

He said: “It’s horrific when you consider the nature of the area. We were just aghast at the enormity of what they were proposing.

“They are building a new town 500 metres from Wivenhoe. You cannot describe how livid we are.

“We have been completely and utterly ignored.”

Fellow Wivenhoe councillors agreed. Shaun Boughton said top quality farming land will be concreted over.

He said Colchester would also “grind to a halt” as thousands of extra motorists drive down Clingoe Hill.

Mr Boughton said it was the first time many councillors had seen the plans and he wants more homes to be placed in the Tendring district.

Colchester Council leader Paul Smith (Lib Dem) confirmed the proposed town centre had moved south from original plans and now included homes south of the A133.

He said the settlement had always been planned as 8,000 to 9,000 homes to accommodate a secondary school.

Mr Smith added: “The whole point of the meeting is to get feedback.”

Deputy leader Tim Young (Lab) said: “The proposals presented are not satisfactory.

They should go back to the drawing board.”

The latest proposals were revealed at a consultation meeting at Essex University, staged by David Lock Associates.

More than 50 people from councils and community groups attended the meeting. The public was not invited.

It has been tasked by North Essex Garden Communities, the company set up by Colchester, Braintree, Tendring and Essex councils, to develop garden communities.

A spokesman for North Essex Garden Communities said the feedback would be incorporated into revised reports and plans to be presented to the various councils in the months ahead as part of their Local Plan process.