A STUNNING mural documenting Colchester's colourful history could be created in the heart of a busy shopping centre in the town centre.

Lion Walk Shopping Centre has applied for planning permission to install the new mural on the external side of a wall to the graveyard at Holy Trinity Church, in Trinity Street, facing out on to the shopping centre.

The mural will make reference to the historical significance of the church, including those buried in the graveyard, as well as feature nods to Colchester's more recent history.

The planning application states: "We are planning to paint a permanent art mural on the external side of the church graveyard wall.

"We will be using exterior household paints, on what is an already rendered and painted wall.

"We have been informed the wall itself is of low heritage significance and we have developed a mural design that makes reference to the historic significance of the site, the church, the people buried in the graveyard, and of colchester as a whole which will help the public to interpret and understand the significance of the location and of Colchester town.

"The finished mural will be treated with anti-graffiti material to allow for cleaning and we hope it will exist for a number of years."

The mural, designed by Mersea artist Tom Knight, is a co-funded project by Our Colchester Business Improvement District's Recovery Fund and Lion Walk Shopping Centre.

The Grade-I listed Holy Trinity Church is the only surviving Saxon building in Colchester town centre, with the tower dating from around the year 1050.

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In its graveyard William Gilbert, physician to Queen Elizabeth I and one of Colchester's most famous sons, is buried.

The church itself is set to undergo a revamp so it can be brought back into use.

The We Are Colchester partnership secured funding from the Government's Town Deal fund.

Colchester Council will have the final say on the plans

You can view the planning here.