CONTROVERSIAL developer Alumno is set to submit fresh plans showing how Colchester’s Cultural Quarter could look.

Colchester Council bosses yesterday denied the developer has been forced to have a rethink.

But news of the new plans was revealed in an email from a senior council manager.

The message, sent by development manager Simon Cairns, confirms new plans are set to be submitted and a fresh round of consultation will be carried out.

He said: “I can confirm when we have received amended drawings then we will carefully consider whether the changes are of such a magnitude to justify withdrawal and resubmission of a new application.

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“Re-consultation with interested parties and relevant statutory consultees will be necessary and this will ensure we have effective engagement with stakeholders on any revised proposals to enable their opinions to be captured, considered and reported to the planning committee.”

Meanwhile, an agent acting for Greyfriars Hotel, in High Street, has urged Colchester Council to listen to the “unprecedented” number of objections on the plans. Lawson Planning has previously warned the proposed design is “poor” and “fails to comply with high standards”.

In its latest letter, the agent states: “The legitimate planning concerns we have raised in relation to the appropriacy and balance of uses, the inability of the layout to realise good urban design principles and the failure of the design to sympathetically interpret the character and history of its surroundings, cause us to maintain our opposition to this development.

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“It would appear the applicant is content to provide the bare minimum to deliver the quantum of development required, seemingly focussed solely on this output at the expense of a more comprehensive solution for the site.

“A large number of objections have been received on this application. We note how this is unprecedented in comparison to many other cases.

“It is often difficult to motivate people to write in unless development is on their doorstep. But in this case, it would seem many people simply care deeply about what happens to this site, motivated by a civic sense of what is best for Colchester and its wider community.

“The council holds the best interests of communities close to its heart, therefore we trust that past principles will not be abandoned in favour of a ‘quick fix’.”