A FORMER planning boss at Colchester Council has lodged a scathing objection to the controversial plans to develop the site of the town’s old bus station.

Cabinet-backed developer Alumno has submitted plans to build more than 300 student homes, with performance and art spaces, as well as an improved public realm.

As part of the already-in-place Curzon cinema, in Queen Street, there will also be a number of bars and restaurants.

But the plans have deeply divided opinion, with more than 370 objections submitted, including from former Colchester Council principal planning officer Mark Russell.

In a three-page assessment of the plans, he states: “What is being proposed is not good enough.

“Colchester is Britain’s most Roman town; its wall is one of its best-known features and at 2.8km in length is the longest remaining Roman town wall in Britain.

“This stretch, at about 250m between Queen Street and East Hill, is one of the longest, unrelieved expanses the wall has to offer.

“Whilst the current bus garage roof next to the wall is utilitarian, the thing which has been proposed is bland, uninspiring and totally out of scale with its surroundings.”

Mr Russell, who no longer works at the authority, also pointed to the loss of a view from Priory Street, which will “fundamentally change its setting in a way that has never been done to this section in all of the wall’s nearly 2,000 years”.

READ MORE: 'COUNCIL BOSS WARNS: IF THIS ISN'T BUILT, SITE WILL BE A WASTELAND FOR A DECADE'

The former officer also takes aim at a heritage statement submitted alongside the application.

His objection states: “[There] is a worrying reference to the Queen Street gap site which was ‘until recently occupied by a large format building that did not contribute to the character and appearance of the conservation area.’

“That may have been the case, but the building is not there any longer, so should not be used as a baseline.

“Instead, the best building for the enhancement of the conservation area should be put there and that is not a four-storey hotel.”

He adds: “Beside the scale, the design itself must be criticised. Currently, the proposed flat-roofed offering looks as it would belong at the Hythe, not next to a Roman Wall in a conservation area.

“The applicants must, at least, be praised for providing clear mock-ups of what the scheme would look like - truly abysmal.”

The objection adds: “With [more than] 300 objections from around the borough and only a very small number of people stating they support it, it would be undemocratic to press on with this scheme.

“I would ask officers and the responsible cabinet members to have this scheme withdrawn now.

“Please think again. This site is too important and I do not believe that a proposal like this would be given house-room in York, Chester, Durham or any other historic town.”