PLANS to turn a former Colchester pub into a Sainsbury’s convenience store are back on the cards.

A fresh bid has been lodged with Colchester Council to convert the Drury Arms, on the corner of Layer Road and Drury Road, into a “local” store, creating 20 jobs.

The revised application follows a bid last year to build an extension to the former pub which was rejected by planners and an independent inspector after a 1,600-strong petition was drawn up opposing it.

Simon Allen, asset manager of site owners Property Portfolio, said the new extension was one-third smaller than the rejected proposal and had been redesigned to address the objections raised by the planning inspector.

See Thursday's Gazette for the full story