Protestors camp out at Colchester Painters Yard site

About 50 protestors have taken over a derelict site in Colchester to object to redevelopment plans.

Alumno Group is seeking permission to build 330 flats and an 80-bed hotel in St Botolph's Quarter, next to the Firstsite gallery and Curzon cinema.

It says the scheme will "support the local economy and help create jobs".

But campaigners said the plans would harm the "cultural heritage" of the Painters Yard site, which is close to the town's Roman wall.

Colchester's Conservative MP Will Quince and Labour activist Victoria Weaver were among those attending the peaceful protest, which started at about 17:30 BST on Wednesday.

The site has previously been used as a bus station but has been empty for several years.

Ms Weaver said: "This is a public piece of land so people want to have a say in how it is used.

"They would love to see the site redeveloped but not like this."

Some of the protestors camped overnight and remain on site. More than 100 people have commented about the plans on the council's website.

A spokesman for Alumno said: "The plans will support the local economy and help create jobs through a mixture of different elements which we believe will benefit the town.

"This includes new student accommodation, affordable business premises for artists, new shops, a town centre hotel, public art and a venue for community groups to use.

"The specific design has been guided by the council's long-standing planning policy guidance for the site, which dates back over a decade."

A Colchester Borough Council spokesman said a decision on the scheme would be made by a meeting of the planning committee "in due course".