THERE are times when we all wish we could turn the clock back and have another go.

We wonder if Colchester Council might echo that sentiment when it comes to the thorny issue of the Cultural Quarter and Alumno’s plans for a development featuring 336-student rooms and a 87-bed Travelodge.

The council entered into an agreement to give Alumno a 250 year lease for land off Queen Street in return for £980,000.

However, the plans have generated a storm of protest from people across the political spectrum and from all ages and walks of life.

Now, details are emerging of the agreement which was reached but might never come to fruition if a planning inspectors backs the scheme’s opponents.

To add another layer of misery to Colchester Council, it must now defend its refusal of the scheme, despite having entered into an agreement for it and its planning officers recommending permission.

It is, quite simply, a mess.

And we wonder if Colchester Council would have handled the whole debacle differently if it had another go.

Would it still enter into the agreement knowing the backlash from the Colchester public?

Would it still have signed up to a 250 year lease (yes, 250 years) if it had realised how unpopular the plans would be?

To be fair, the council is trying to regenerate the area but perhaps a little more discussion earlier on could have saved an awful lot of heartache, time, effort and money.