Future regeneration of a run-down part of Colchester is expected to be given the green light.
The ambitious plans to revamp Magdalen Street and Barrack Street in New Town will be considered by councillors this week.
Councillors will be asked to adopt a planning brief which will be used as guidance for future building in the area.
Residents have already backed the plans following extensive consultation in the summer.
The brief provides a coherent framework for the neglected area following a number of inquiries relating to future development of various parcels of land.
It sets out Colchester Council's main planning objectives for the area and provides design guidance for prospective developers.
And the overall aim is to avoid piecemeal development and give a firm foundation for promoting and controlling future development in the area.
Councillors at the environment and transport policy panel on Thursday will be asked to adopt the blueprint.
A report to the panel said: "Although much of the area covered by the brief is shabby, vacant or derelict, its close proximity to the town centre and easy access to local services and public transport makes it ideally suited to the creation of new, sustainable, mixed use neighbourhood."
The key features will be high-quality housing and business premises, promoted by the council which owns a lot of land in the area, and a landscaped park.
The regeneration will centre on using vacant and brownfield land.
Public consultation flagged up the need for landscaping and fears about traffic congestion, in an area already notorious for jams.
Transport issues are being addressed through the East Colchester Corridor Study, jointly undertaken by the borough and county councils.
But because the area is within walking distance of the town centre, this could help reduce transport movements associated with similar developments.
By Sarah Oxley
Reporter's e-mail: sarah_oxley@thisisessex.co.uk
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