More than four out of five people in Colchester want its bus station to stay where it is, according to the town's MP.

Bob Russell said he had carried out a sample survey of people in the town to see if they supported plans to build an arts facility on the station's current site, in Queen Street.

Colchester Council is proposing to build the £15 million facility as part of a scheme to regenerate the St Botolph's area of the town.

But the plans have been opposed by many people, who feel the bus station needs to stay where it is.

Mr Russell said he had 240 people reply to his survey. The results revealed 82 per cent were against the council's proposals.

He said: "I have received many complaints about the proposed closure of the bus station, but I wanted to ascertain more accurately what public opinion was."

Published Thursday January 8, 2004

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