A SENIOR councillor has warned Colchester could end up with “an empty town centre like Braintree” if plans to build the £70 million Tollgate Village go head.

Dominic Graham was speaking during a public have you say session of the planning appeal into to the Stanway shopping park proposals.

The Colchester councillor for sustainability, who works as a solicitor in the market town, said: “I invite the inspector to visit Braintree Freeport and then Braintree town centre.

“You will see quite clearly the effects of a large, successful, popular out of town retail development with a cinema.

“You will see the traffic chaos it causes – the A120 is notorious around these parts, especially near Freeport.

“But most of all, you will see the empty town centre and a town centre that Mary Portas was brought in to reinvigorate, albeit without success.

“These proposals at Tollgate will have the same effect on Colchester Town Centre, as Freeport has had on Braintree town centre.”

Mr Graham’s comments came during a session heavily dominated with public support for the scheme.

Some 25 people spoke during Thursday night’s hearing, with just five people speaking against the plans.

Andrew Guest, who runs the Purple Dog pub, in Eld Lane, said Tollgate Village would not impact on the town centre.

He also said the town centre and Tollgate Village would appeal to different shoppers.

The landlord also pointed to Primark’s decision to open in Colchester town centre, adding: “They wouldn’t have taken the commercial decision to go to the town centre if they believed Tollgate Village would affect them.”

He added: “Tollgate Village fundamentally serves a different purpose.”

Businessman Simon Crow argued the people of Colchester “should not be held to ransom by Fenwick” and said councillors’ decision to refuse the out-of-town scheme is “robbing the people of a choice”.

Businesswoman Kim Adcock, who runs recruitment firm OPM Response Ltd in Tollgate, said those opposed to the scheme are wrong in pointing to the proposed development as a threat to the town centre.

She added: “The threat is not out-of-town centres. It is supermarkets.

“We have lost Geller’s butchers in Colchester. There are no butchers in Tollgate but there is a Sainsbury’s and an Iceland.”

Mark Payne, managing director of nationally recognised media firm iSite, which is based in Tollgate, warned: “It’s not Tollgate or Colchester. People do certain things in the centre and certain things in Tollgate.

“People just don’t see it as either/or. Fundamentally, it’s about symbiosis.”

After the meeting, councillor Tom Cunningham, cabinet member for economic development on Braintree Council, issued a statement to defend Braintree.

He said: “Having a successful factory outlet, located just 1.4 miles from our town centre, gives our residents access to hundreds of jobs on their doorsteps and brings 2.7 million visitors to our district each year.

"It has a completely different offer than that of our town centre which can offer more in the way of niche retail and local produce – ultimately the town as a whole has a richer mix of shopping opportunities for residents and visitors.

"We know the habits of shoppers are constantly evolving and town centres now need to be more than just places to shop – they also need to be places to work, spend leisure time, socialise and access services and that’s why we are working hard, alongside our partners, to unlock our town centre’s future potential as a modern, vibrant and sustainable place and the planned regeneration of Manor Street, currently being designed by architects, represents the first step to complement future improvements."

The inquiry continues.