Agents handling the sale of a disused boatyard in Brightlingsea said today there had been a healthy interest in the site.

And Jeremy Newman, of Colchester-based Newman Commercial, said there was still time to submit written offers for the two-acre site of the former James and Stone boatyard, on Waterside.

He said: "We have had a lot of interest to date and we are looking to close offers on July 23, so there is time for people to work their offers out."

Mr Newman added a quote price for the site which has outline planning consent for housing, leisure and marina use, is more than £650,000.

Residents in Brighgtlingsea have formed Brightlingsea Waterside Action Group, which is opposed to developing the site for houses, and have formed a steering committee to organise their campaign.

Jim Lawrence, the driving force behind the scheme to save the site as a town amenity, said the action group had been invited to apply for a grant by Tendring District Council, which would act as a "fighting fund".

He added: "They seem sympathetic towards us, as does the town council. Next Friday we will be voting members on to a committee and we should have more knowledge of where the money is going to come from," he added.

Campaigners will be taking to the streets of the town tomorrow to get people to sign up for the action group.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.