COUNCILLORS are being asked to decide how a controversial student flats development will be linked with a town centre car park.

Colchester Council’s planning committee will be asked to endorse a chosen method to create a ramp linking Priory Street with Alumno’s development, off Queen Street, which features 336 student flats, a hotel and retail units.

The issue is one of the final hurdles holding up the controversial development, which was approved on appeal after being rejected by the committee on the grounds of disabled access and design issues.

As part of the conditions for the development getting the go-ahead, planning inspector Melvyn Middleton imposed a condition which prevents the start of the works until a plan for the access ramp is approved.

Alumno has put forward two approaches to link the town’s old bus station with Priory Street.

One will mean creating an opening of 4.5m in a historic theatre wall, whilst the other would create a smaller opening in the wall, 1.9m, but be a steeper gradient.

Whilst the second option would do less harm to the surrounding area, the council says it will not fully meet the advisory British Standard guidelines on disabled access.

A report set to go before the planning committee on Thursday says: “The significantly smaller opening will minimise the loss of enclosure and, as such, will be less harmful to the character of the conservation area and the setting of the town wall.”

It supports this option as does Historic England.

The planning committee is being asked to agree a preferred approach before further designs for the scheme are submitted.