A £45million retail and leisure park has been billed as a catalyst to revitalising the “hidden gem” of Harwich.

The Harwich Valley complex would see 250 homes, warehouses, shops, cafes and restaurants including a drive-thru as well as a multiplex cinema, a 63-bed hotel and pub on land between the A120 and Main Road in Dovercourt.

Along with 1,500 permenant jobs, a further 1,000 jobs are expected as a spin-off to the retail and residential development which is also thought to be just the start of encouraging in big retailers to the town.

Speaking at an exhibition of the plans at The Waterfront in Dovercourt, Gavin Stollar, spokesman for Harding Estates, said: “We wouldn’t be coming forward with this investment if there wasn’t sufficient interest in the market."