PLANS to create car parking spaces at Colchester's Jumbo tower have been welcomed by conservation campaigners.

Paul Flatman bought the historic landmark last May for £190,000, but until now no plans about the tower have been made public.

Its dilapidated condition resulted in Colchester Council issuing Mr Flatman with a notice in December requiring him to carry out repairs, which are ongoing.

Now Mr Flatman has submitted a planning application to the council to create six parking spaces at the base of the Victorian tower.

These have been welcomed by the Balkerne Trust, set up to preserve Jumbo.

Chairman Brian Light said: “Exactly this idea is in our business plan and is part of what we would do if we owned Jumbo.

“It will bring in more than £10,000 a year, which we would use to help restore Jumbo and start public access.

“We hope the owner will use the income to landscape the area and improve the condition of this important listed landmark.’’ Architect Simon Plater said the car park plans paved the way for further proposals to be submitted regarding the tower itself.

Mr Plater said: “We are just doing this application so we can tidy up the bottom of the tower.

“With reference to anything else, wewanted to see whether we can get this application through first before we consider anything else.’’ The application asks for six parking bays to the west side of the tower – three on each side of a central path, leading to the gate to the tower.

The council aims to decide on the proposal by June 11.

A statement with the plans states: “At present, the land is vacant and unkempt and is used for ad-hoc parking, approximately twelve cars parked in a random pattern over the main area to the west of the tower and the secondary area to the north.

“This is dangerous to both pedestrians and traffic that use Balkerne Gardens."

Mr Plater, who has worked on the Jumbo project for nearly 20 years, said he could not disclose details of further plans.

Jumbo was sold at auction by millionaire George Braithwaite, who had spent eight years trying to convince council planners to approve his proposals to turn it into offices, flats, a penthouse and a restaurant.

English Heritage said the building, which has not been used as a water tower since 1986, is slowly decaying.

Mr Flatman declined to comment.