A MULTI-MILLION pound leisure development due to open within two years will include state-of-the-art zip wires, climbing walls, trampolining and indoor adventure golf, it can be revealed.

Plans for the Northern Gateway development have been submitted to Colchester Council but the Gazette can reveal the exact details of the development for the first time.

The sporting activities will form part of the ‘leisure-led’ development, which also includes 12 large restaurants, a 12-screen IMAX and 4DX Cineworld and an 80-bed hotel.

Chris Goldsmith, director at Turnstone Estates, which has been tasked by landowners Colchester Council to market the family-friendly development, said the plans are “unlike anything on offer in the region”.

He added: “The is about the customer experience and making it a fantastic customer experience and one that is far better than what is currently on offer in the region.

“This is something fantastic for Colchester but it will also drive people to Colchester from outside the area.”

Mr Goldsmith added: “We are bringing things to Colchester which people are currently travelling from Colchester to experience.”

“We know there are people who travel to perhaps Ipswich or Braintree to go to the cinema and perhaps now people who would be going to those cinemas will want to go to Colchester’s cinema.”

Mr Goldsmith also said Turnstone is aiming “high” when attracting restaurants to the development.

Although he would not be drawn on the exact eateries interested, Mr Goldsmith said although there are limited plans for Frankie and Benny’s-style restaurants, those which are being courted include “Jamie’s Italian-style” outlets.

He added: “We want to look at the gold and silver scales, though not necessarily in terms of price.

“We are not pursuing a great deal of the usual restaurants you might see, though there will be a bit of that.

“There will be some restaurants which are already in Colchester and there will be others which this will be their first in the town. Jamie’s Italian, for example, generally prefers to be in towns and cities, but it is that sort of thing we’re looking at.”

The Northern Gateway application is expected to be decided upon by Colchester Council’s planning committee by the end of the month.