SUCH is the chaos, confusion and congestion in the car park at Stane Retail Park, I am told that the other day four marshals in hi-viz jackets were trying to sort things out.

And that is before all the units are open for business!

Stane Park has made congestion worse throughout the whole Tollgate area of Stanway, sometimes as far away as the slip road leading from the A12.

One DIY store elsewhere in Colchester has told me that several tradespeople who hitherto had done business with B&Q at Stane Park had switched to them because of all the traffic problems.

Stane Park has become a planning and traffic disaster caused by a mixture of developers greed, Government policy, a Government planning inspector upholding an appeal for what we are witnessing now, the failure of Essex County Council to lodge any highways objections, along with naivety on the part of Colchester Borough Council, who accepted the advice of consultants – engaged by the council – who said Stane Park with Marks & Spencer would not adversely affect the retail viability of Colchester city centre - the subsequent closure of M&S in High Street shows otherwise.

Sir Bob Russell

Catchpool Road, Colchester