A GIANT eight storey student accommodation block with more than 230 rooms could be built at the Hythe.

Plans have been submitted for the new complex on Hawkins Road, Colchester, which would be known as Hythe Mills, on land which was formerly owned by van and lorry rental company Aim Hire.

The site is just two miles away from Essex University with other student flats located across the River Colne and bosses are hoping to make their mark with a striking design which ranges from between five and eight stories.

A planning statement said: "Hythe Mills has been designed to form a strong and defined addition to the Hythe waterfront.

"It is designed to be seen and approached from a number of directions welcoming both residents and visitors.

"The building will be clearly visible to cars and pedestrians crossing the Colne

Causeway from either direction as well as being seen from the King Edward Quay when heading west towards the site."

The 231 rooms are set to be a mixture of types with the majority being en-suite rooms clustered together in blocks of between seven and ten with shared kitchens and corridors.

Standard studio rooms will have kitchen facilities contained inside them, as well with accessible studios which are set to be slightly larger.

A small amount of premium studio rooms would be available at the top of the building and include added floor space.

Communal study space, social areas, laundry facilities and a bike storage area have also been included in the plans.

The applicants have held talks with Colchester Council ahead of the plans being submitted and have scaled backed the scheme slightly - having initially wanted to build a 289 bedroom block up to nine stories high.

Outline plans for 63 homes on the site and commercial units were given the green light in February 2010, but no work has ever begun.

Colchester Council aims to have a decision on the application by September 22 but the proposal is likely to be discussed by the council's planning committee.