PLANS to investigate creating a country park or nature reserve at a beauty spot have been blocked.

Conservative councillors’ proposals to commit resources for a feasibility study to investigate a country park or nature reserve at Middlewick Ranges were rejected by the ruling Liberal Democrat and Labour coalition.

Labour councillors for the area rejected the chance to protect “the Wick” as residents affectionately call it.

The Conservative’s proposals were voted down as an amendment to the budget to allocate £50,000 to develop a plan.

This follows the 2017 vote where Labour and Liberal Democrats allocated 1,000 homes on Middlewick in the Local Plan.

Deputy leader of the Conservative group on Colchester Council Lewis Barber, who proposed the amendment, said: “I cannot understand why councillors did not seize the opportunity to protect Middlewick.

“It is a relatively small amount of money which may help protect Middlewick, so why not do it?”

During the debate some councillors said they wouldn’t vote for it because they wanted a nature reserve not a country park.

He added: “So we amended it to say nature reserve and they still voted against it.”

Campaigner Chris Piggott said: “We won’t save the Wick if we just put our heads in the sand and do nothing."

As a result of the vote £50,000 will not be allocated to enable the council’s planning department to conduct a feasibility study.

The default option remains the building of up to 1,000 houses near Abbot’s Road.

Dave Harris, a Labour councillor who has been campaigning for the Wick, said: “I want wildlife to be protected and I am against the Government selling the Wick.

“Everyone needs to wake up and smell the coffee and realise the Ministry of Defence has to stop the sale of the Wick.”

Council leader Mark Cory said the council got the amendment a day before the meeting and it was amended again just before the meeting.

“We all agree on the aim and want to work it through,” he added.

Gerrard Oxford, a Labour councillor, said the jurisdiction for Middlewick lies with the local plan committee.

He added: "So the amendment was ill thought out in my view and as the other opposition group on the council I fully embraced the offer to be involved in the budget process throughout the year that’s how we achieved changes."