Travellers arrive on former rugby club site in Colchester

Pictures show a group of caravans remain on land, off Mill Road, Colchester. 

The caravans reportedly arrived on the fields on Monday morning and have remained on the site. 

One witness reported the group had "three horses" on the site as of around 1pm, with "work vans, tents and six caravans".

The land is set to be developed by Colchester Council after the authority received outline planning permission last year.

READ MORE: 350 new homes to be built at Colchester Rugby Club as plans approved

The scheme will see 350 new homes - 105 of which will be social housing, a healthcare campus with 300 homes for elderly residents, a 20-bed private acute surgical hospital and a new medical centre offering GP services built on site.

Caravans on the former rugby club site

There will also be a 75-bed care home created, along with 45,100sqm of office and commercial space.

Food and retail outlets are also proposed, along with a community centre, pedestrian boulevard and large park.

The development is part of the wider Northern Gateway development which has seen a £29million state-of-the-art sports park open.

A £50million leisure complex, featuring a cinema, climbing centre and restaurants, is also set to be built near Colchester United’s stadium.

A Colchester Council spokesman said: "A direction to leave notice was served on an unauthorised encampment at Mill Road, on Tuesday.

"As the travellers did not leave within 24 hours, an application was made to the courts the next day and is due to be heard on Monday.”

An Essex Countywide Traveller Unit spokesman said: “The ECTU is managing this encampment on behalf of Colchester Council.

“A court hearing date has been set for Monday, July 11, with the matter expected to be resolved early next week.”