A £5million hotel complex, which could generate up to 70 new jobs, is being proposed for Colchester.

Property firm, the Elysium Group, has submitted a formal planning application for the scheme, which involves the redevelopment of the River Lodge pub in Middleborough.

The plans include a 150-seater river front restaurant and wine bar, together with a 50-bed hotel.

The firm, which acquired the building in 2012, has carried out a detailed consultation with Colchester Borough Council’s planning officers and also held a public consultation last August.

In a statement, the company said it had “received overwhelming support from local residents and businesses” for the scheme.

It continued: “The proposed development will deliver much needed quality hotel accommodation which will benefit the town’s tourism industry as well as bringing a positive contribution to the immediate area and the Colchester economy as a whole and as a catalyst for the Colchester North Station master plan.”

The development is one of eight venues owned by the Elysium Group in the town. The company says the £5m development will create around 50 to 70 new jobs which will be recruited locally, as will the contractors and tradesmen need to build the development.