PLANS to build a £75 million open air shopping precinct in Colchester town centre are poised to move a step closer after council bosses approved a land buy-up.

Senior councillors also said they could use compulsory purchase powers in order to buy any remaining land in Osborne Street to make way for the planned Vineyard Gate development.

Plans to build the 20-shop scheme have been on the table for almost 15 years but the economic downturn slowed progress and despite former developer Caddick Construction signalling renewed interest in 2012, the project has never got off the ground.

Colchester Council has since parted ways with Caddick and bought all the company’s assets in Colchester.

Paul Smith, Colchester Council leader, said yesterday: “This [buy up] is a big step forward and I would say the jigsaw is coming into place, albeit slowly.

“I would say the purchases are more important for the speedy delivery of the scheme.

“We do not want to be trying to bring forward a scheme which has six or seven different landowners as a part of it, that is why buying up what we can we can is vital otherwise it could be very messy.

“Some people might want cash now, some might not want to be paid for one or two years for perhaps tax reasons.

“Some owners will have vastly inflated values of what they have and that is when compulsory purchase orders could be used.”

The exact details of the properties which will be bought have not been revealed.

At the moment, the council owns the Emmaus shop and warehouse, in Osborne Street, as well as two taxi offices.

The authority does not own nightspot Straws, takeaway Facefood, the Alishan Tandoori, the Tasty Garden Chinese and Thai takeaway or Eustace King Funeral Director, all of which are in Osborne Street.

In order to use the controversial purchase orders, the council must be able to prove direct attempts have been made to secure the land and the development for which the land is required would bring a significant public benefit.

Mr Smith added: “We are confident each of the points have been made should it come to the use of the orders.”

Speaking at a meeting of Colchester Council cabinet, during which the buy-up was agreed, the leader added: “This is an area on Colchester in great need of some redevelopment and we would very much like to actively come forward with something which will be of great benefit to Colchester.”