A FAST food restaurant, car showroom or nursery could be coming to a parcel of land off one of Colchester’s busiest roads.

Diggers have moved in to start work on the 1.1-acre piece of land off Ipswich Road, next to the Balkerne Gate restaurant.

A road is being built on the land before work begins on linking it to Ipswich Road this summer.

But the future development of the land is still undecided.

A scoping planning application has been lodged for a fast food restaurant, car hire office and business use.

Ray Chapman, project manager at property development consultancy Ray Chapman Associates, is overseeing the work.

But he said no decisions had been made and the firm had been in talks with Tendring Council about what options would be available.

He said: “There are lots of options. We have had someone who wanted offices there, a motorcycle showroom, someone who wanted a restaurant, a gym, a nursery.

“There is lots of interest in it but until someone comes up with something firm we have got no fixed plans.”

Planning permission was granted about three years ago for a car show room at the site.