A social club in the heart of Colchester has been sold off and is now earmarked for a prestigious 60-home development.

Jaygate Homes has bought the 13-acre Paxman's Social Club site on Hythe Hill for an undisclosed sum from Marconi.

The plans involve levelling the social club buildings, which were built in 1949, and creating a large number of new homes.

Peter Edmondson, chairman of Jaygate Land Developments, said full plans for the site should be ready by March.

Mr Edmondson said: "With the development at the Hythe alongside it is our hope that little area is going to become quite fashionable. It will run side by side with the work at St Mary's Hospital. It will be the usual team behind it."

The first thing the firm has done is barrier off the 10ft wall on Hythe Hill amid fears about public safety. Remedial work on the wall is expected to begin quickly before Jaygate considers what to do with it.

The decision has raised concerns about the long-term future of the wall.

Don Quinn (Lab, St Andrew's) said: "People can't use the footpath at the moment and are having to cross Hythe Hill and then cross back again. It is also causing problems with traffic. The wall needs to be repaired."

Although the exact number of homes earmarked for the site has not been decided he said it was likely to be in the region of 60 homes.

Aside from the planned development of St Mary's which is recommended for approval by councillors on January 3, Frinton-based Jaygate was behind redevelopment work at the former BT buildings in St Peter's street.

In August more than 60 residents attended a public meeting in the Wilson Marriage Centre in nearby Barrack Street to register their objections to a previous development for the site.

Mr Edmondson said the land leading from the back of the club to the river, known locally as the moors, is to be given to the borough as part of the redevelopment.

Published Thursday December 27, 2001