A CONTROVERSIAL £1million scheme to build a new visitor centre at Walton’s historic Naze will start in December.

Plans have been agreed for Essex Wildlife Trust to create the new stateof- the-art centre to boost tourism.

A Naze management board has been set up to oversee the project. It will start with an archaeological survey of the building site.

Hi-tech equipment will be used to scan the Naze clifftop to detect anything of archaeological interest near the surface. The centre could be open by the end of 2015.

Essex Wildlife Trust has a design team in place and is ready to go out to tender to local building firms.

Chief executive John Hall said: “The formation of the management board is very positive for the Naze and for everyone involved in the site.”

The Naze Management Board will meet again in September when members will be updated.