The Tollgate Partnership Ltd hopes to create Tollgate Village on the former Sainsbury’s site and on land opposite Curry’s/PC World at the existing centre.
Shops, restaurants, and leisure facilities including a cinema are among the proposed elements of the 20 acre development site.
An outline planning application has now been submitted to Colchester Borough Council following what the partnership describes as a positive public consultation.
In total of the 467 people who completed a feedback form during the company’s consultation 86% supported the development, with just 2.5% unsupportive and the rest undecided.
Jayne Gee, one of the Tollgate Partnership directors, said: “The 569 people who attended our two-day exhibition, the many others who completed our online form, local councillors and Colchester Borough Council officers have all helped to shape our proposals for Tollgate Village and we are very grateful to them.”
Daniel Watts, a fellow director, added that consultation also included Stanway Parish Council, Essex County Council and the Highways Agency.
The Tollgate Partnership believe if given the go-ahead the development could create up to 1,000 jobs for the area, including up to 480 construction jobs, and would bring a £13.7million boost to the local economy.
The partnership hopes work could begin from next year if planners give the proposals the green light, with the site completed by 2018.
The site would be split into three zones.
Zone one, on the former Sainsbury’s land, would have retailers and a 1,300 seat cinema as well as a five-level multi-storey car park with a total of 1,200 parking spaces.
Zones two and three would see existing stores enhanced, along with new restaurant and retail space and an indoor adventure centre, plus 280 additional surface car parking spaces.
Full feedback from the public consultation will later be posted on the Tollgate Village website.
Colchester Borough Council aims to make a decision on the proposals by May 28. Comments can be made on the council’s website.
Article by : Will Lodge
A strategic development and management company has given a vote of confidence in the future of Colchester by unveiling plans for a multi-million pound retail and leisure space at Stanway.
Tollgate Partnership Limited (TPL) has already delivered more than one million square feet of commercial development in Essex and Suffolk, including The Tollgate Centre, Tollgate Retail Park and Tollgate Business Park in Stanway. Its latest development, Tollgate Village, will be a thriving gateway hub for Colchester and a place where people can work, shop, meet and relax.
The family-run company is based in Colchester and wants to develop shops, restaurants and leisure uses on 20 acres of land it owns which include the former Sainsbury’s site and land opposite Curry’s/PC World. The plans were unveiled to hundreds of people including councillors, business leaders and residents at a two-day public exhibition.
The Directors of TPL say Tollgate Village will deliver major economic benefits to Colchester, which is one of the fastest growing districts in the UK and needs additional facilities for its ever-increasing population. Colchester Borough Council has already identified Stanway as a Growth Area and also recognised a need for additional retail floor space over and above its town centre requirements.
An outline planning application is being submitted and, if it is successful, it is hoped work could start in 2016. Tollgate Village will have a significant economic impact on Colchester, creating more than 1,000 jobs; bringing an estimated £13.7m to the local economy and helping to keep retail spend within the Borough.
We are pleased to say we have already welcomed hundreds of visitors to our Public Exhibition to share our Vision for Tollgate Village.
The exhibition, at Unit 5 Tollgate Business Centre, Stanway, is open on Friday, December 5th until 7pm and on Saturday, December 6th between 10am and 4pm.
Visitors of all ages have looked at our plans and told us their thoughts on Tollgate Village and the exciting future of Stanway and the Borough of Colchester. It is not too late to have your say; you can give your feedback via this website too.
In the next few weeks we will report on all the feedback we have received and keep you updated on this website.
Tollgate Partnership Ltd is set to unveil a masterplan for 20 acres of land at Tollgate, Stanway, next month.
The development could potentially include a bowling alley and cinema, as well as shops and restaurants, although specific proposals have not yet been drawn up.
The land, including the former Sainsbury’s site, could be turned into a gateway hub for Colchester if it gets the go-ahead.
An estimated 480 jobs could be created during construction of the development, with a further 450 being employed within the completed site.
Daniel Watts, Tollgate Partnership director, said: “Hundreds of homes have been built in Stanway and hundreds more are planned.
“There needs to be somewhere those residents can go to work or to socialise. We want to create a sense of place and community.”
Fellow director Jayne Gee, added that the partnership was mindful of a Stanway Parish Council wish-list drawn up with residents which includes a cinema, bowling alley, more shops and restaurants.
She said: “We are hoping for an excellent turnout at the exhibition so we can share our vision for Tollgate and get as many opinions as possible to inform our plans.”
The scheme will include extensive landscaping as well as improved pedestrian and cycling routes taking in the nearby Sainsbury’s store.
A specific cost for the scheme will be dependent on the extent of the planning permission granted, if any, and the input from commercial groups which would run specific businesses on the site.
The Tollgate Partnership is holding a two-day public exhibition on the proposals next month to gauge opinion on the plans.
The event will be held at Unit 5, Tollgate Business Park, on Friday December 5 from 2pm to 7pm, and on Saturday December 6 from 10am to 4pm.
An outline planning application is then set to be submitted in the new year.
Article by : Will Lodge