WITH work finally kicking off on site, it seems to perfect time to sum up everything we know so far about the new £60 million Stane Retail Park.

Churchmanor Estates is behind the plans for the new retail park, located opposite Tollgate Sainsbury’s in Stanway.

Original proposals for the retail park, which will feature big names like B&Q, Aldi and Marks and Spencer, were approved in August 2018.

An amendment to the application was submitted last summer when M&S decided it wanted to increase the size of its foodstore at the site.

Changes to national planning laws mean Churchmanor was forced to submit a fresh application to secure approval for the latest designs earlier this year.

This plan was approved and work began on site this month.

Halstead Gazette:

  • The new B&Q unit at Stane Retail Park

The new 173,000 sq ft retail park, about the size of three football pitches, will house a new store for B&Q, an M&S Food Hall and a new Aldi.

The DIY giant is moving from its current home in The Hythe to the new shop, designed with a covered builders yard and improved garden centre.

It’s old home is set to become a new Sainsbury’s supermarket for residents of The Hythe.

Aldi will be relocating its nearby London Road store to the new unit, which is much larger.

M&S does not have a specific food hall in Colchester so the new shop will be the first of its kind in the borough.

Halstead Gazette:

  • The M&S foodhall once complete

There will also be several other retail units, although the tenants for these have not yet been revealed.

If all progresses as planned, the new retail park will be ready to open in September next year.

Churchmanor is also spending £2.6 million on improvements to the Eight Ash Green A12 roundabout, where a four way traffic signal junction is set to be created.

The Western Bypass is also set to be widened to two lanes.

The next door Stane Leisure Park site is home to Nando's, KFC and several other restaurants units.

Tollgate Partnership is also working on its Tollgate Village development in Stanway.

It features a cinema, retail units and a total revamp of the open space in the area.

Halstead Gazette:

  • The Tollgate Village proposals

Plans show floorspace at the development will be made up primarily of shops, totalling 22,000 sq m, as well as 2,100 sq m of additional general retail space, across Tollgate Retail Park and the old Sainsbury’s site.

The cinema, run by The Light, is set to offer 1,300 seats across up to eight screens from a 3,450 sq m unit located on the opposite side of Tollgate West.

There will be 3,240 sq m of other leisure floorspace nearby set to be up to nine restaurants.

There is plenty of change going on in the area, with thousands of new homes set to be built over the coming years as well.