CAMPAIGNERS who fought against a controversial £40 million plan for land in Colchester town centre have welcomed what appears to be the collapse of the scheme.

Plans for 336 student rooms, a Travelodge and public open space had been submitted for land off Queen Street, Colchester, in late 2018.

A protracted battle followed and County Hall put the brakes on the project due to a covenant it holds over the town’s former bus station at the site, protecting it from development.

READ MORE: What is the Alumno development and why is it so controversial?

Colchester Council approached Essex County Council in March seeking to sell the site to developer Alumno, but Colchester Council was compelled to give County Hall first refusal under the covenant.

Essex County Council has since elected to buy the site, a move welcomed by campaigners set against the plans.

Campaigner Dorian Kelly called the news “more than welcome”.

He added: “This has been a very long and a very rocky road along which we have had to negotiate all kinds of potholes.

“From the initial shock to see such a horrible design being forced on us without notice, to the bold statement that parts of the then council saw it as a ‘done deal’ over which would have no recourse, even though one of the highest ever recorded set of objections was received from a wide range of the Colchester public.”

Mr Kelly said his hopes for the future of the site involved the area being “the nexus of our culture and tourism future”.

“This is a crucial site for Colchester," he said.

“Hopefully the new town centre masterplan being put together at short notice to prevent just such insensitive development happening within our ancient borough again will come up trumps.”

READ MORE: Essex County Council agrees to buy land off Queen Street

Colchester’s High Steward Sir Bob Russell, who strongly opposed the plans, said he wished to pay tribute to former Colchester Council leader Paul Dundas and County Hall leader Kevin Bentley for “saving the site”.

He said: “Thank goodness we’re not going to get the appalling development, which the borough council cabinet – prior to 2021 – wanted to inflict on Colchester without once ever discussing it with the whole council.

“The cabinet ramrodded this through and the only time the council had to discuss it was when the planning application came in to the committee, which was refused unanimously.”

He added: “The fact it was going to be student accommodation was a side-issue.

“The development itself was the issue, not what it was to be used for. It was out of keeping for the area, hideous buildings and would have been a blight on the townscape for generations to come.”

Essex County Council has now stated it will purchase the site and factor it into a masterplan it is drawing up for the economic regeneration of Colchester’s town centre.

The vision builds on several regeneration projects and ongoing investment being made in the town.

The aim of the masterplan is to celebrate Colchester’s heritage, visitor attractions and support the High Street to recover and thrive following the pandemic, County Hall says.