PLANS to build up to 130 homes have edged forward after a historic warehouse hit the market.

MAN Energy Solutions was given the green light to transform the former Paxman Diesels site into a housing development by councillors last year.

Up to 130 homes are now set to be built on the site off Port Lane, Colchester, which closed in 2021 following 150 years of operating in the city.

But those homes are yet to get off the ground, with London-based estate agent Knight Frank now seeking a new owner for the three-hectare site in the Hythe.

Gazette: Site - the former factorySite - the former factory

Colchester Council’s planning committee approved the plans despite anger from campaigners who petitioned to save the factory from closure.

The approved proposals include a mix of one, two, three, and four-bedroom houses and flats, with some buildings set to be up to four storeys high.

To meet affordable housing demands, 39 of the homes will be available on either social housing or shared ownership schemes.

The site’s owner, a German company which makes engines and other machinery, previously said the closure of its Colchester base was because of a restructuring of the business and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit on its operations.