This vacant Colchester town centre building is set to make way for FIVE new restaurants and two shops

The proposals for the former Co-op store, in Long Wyre Street, Colchester, also include two new shops and 24 flats.

The building was home to department store Townrow between 2011 and 2014 but despite attempts to lure large retailers such as Primark to the premises, the Twenties building remains empty.

Plans state the restaurants will be on the ground floor and the first floor.

Plans - sketches show how the building could look

Documents set to go before Colchester councillors next week state although the plans breach a number of the authority’s town centre planning policies, it is considered too good an opportunity to pass up given the area is suffering from a 15 per cent vacancy rate.

There is also an admission the town centre policy is “likely” be out of date given criticism attached to it in the Tollgate Village appeal decision.

A report states: “There are several vacant units which gives an overall impression of economic decline.

“At an initial site visit in March, five vacant units were noted on Culver Street East and Long Wyre Street.

Closed - the building was home to Townrow between 2011 and 2014

“A second site visit was carried out on August 10 whereby an additional ten vacancies were recorded, albeit including nearby Priory Walk. The vacancies recorded at the earlier site visit remained vacant.

“Of the 55 units on Culver Street East, Long Wyre Street, and Priory Walk, 15 of them were vacant as of August 10.”

One of those units is the Colchester Council-owned former Jacks store, which is the subject of separate plans to convert it into a cafe and apartments.

The report adds: “The policy team have suggested a more pragmatic interpretation should be taken in respect of town centre uses in this location, concluding it is preferable to have this site occupied in town centre uses rather than continue to have a vacant store in this location and it is agreed that this would be a sensible approach.

“It is ultimately concluded the benefits of the proposal in bringing the building back into use, increasing active frontage, and increasing the vitality of the area outweigh the harm of reducing the area of retail frontage.”