DETAILED designs of the long-awaited Tollgate Village have now been approved and it is only a matter of time before the first spade will go into the ground to start work.

The £70 million retail and leisure venue has been years in the making and has attracted strong supporters as well as its opponents.

Colchester town centre businesses and Colchester Council have fought against the out-of-town development and have raised serious concerns about its impact on the viability of town centre trade.

Conversely, however, are prospective shoppers who can’t wait for an out-of-town centre offering free and easy parking as well as entertainment and top end stores.

And hopefully, the two retail centres can find a way to co-exist.

Nowadays, people travel to Lakeside and Bluewater or to Chelmsford and Ipswich. Perhaps those shoppers will go to Tollgate Village instead and still use the town centre.

The secret to success is surely ensuring both Tollgate Village and Colchester town centre have different offerings.

Lion Walk shopping centre has already seized the nettle welcoming the Saturday market to add to its diversity.

And plans are in the pipeline to give the Priory Street shops a long-awaited makeover.

So, perhaps it is time to let bygones be bygones and for everyone to work together to beat the biggest threat of all - online shopping.

Perhaps there could even be offers between the two so everyone is a winner.