A HUGE leisure park set to be built on a disused supermarket site has been compared to Bas Vegas.
Colchester Council has approved plans for a multi-million pound leisure park to be built at the former home of Sainsbury’s in Stanway.
It has been a long time coming, with more than eight years passing since proposals for the new facility at the site, which spans the size of 11 Premier League football pitches, were first submitted.
But with the site potentially becoming home to a cinema, nightclub, and bowling alley, among other outlets, some feel it will be reminiscent of an iconic leisure park in Basildon.
Colchester resident Abbey Ward compared the new leisure park to “Bas Vegas” in south Essex.
“This reminds me of Festival Leisure Park in Basildon which feels unnecessary for Colchester to recreate,” she said.
“We already have all of those things in several locations which is taking more and more business away from the city centre.
“The infrastructure needs to be sorted first before a new leisure park opens. The traffic around Tollgate is bad enough, especially with Stane Park.”
But Witham MP Dame Priti Patel, whose constituency includes Stanway and the surrounding villages, feels the new development is a positive step for the city.
“These plans will give Stanway and this part of Essex a much needed boost,” she said. “As well as creating new leisure facilities and shops, it will bring in new jobs and improvements to local highways infrastructure.
“It has taken many years to get these plans approved and we’ll need to see ongoing positive engagement between the Tollgate Partnership, local community, and local councils to make this a success.
“I have been campaigning for new investment in Stanway to support our growing population and will continue to press our local councils and NHS to follow this significant level of private investment with support to improve our schools, healthcare facilities, and roads.”
Dame Priti previously accused Colchester Council of being “out of touch with residents in Stanway” and having “no vision for Stanway” after councillors voted to reject plans for the site in 2016.
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