FED-UP residents are calling for action to see an eyesore industrial site put to good use.

Tesco agreed to sell the derelict piece of land, in Station Road, on the border of Manningtree and Lawford, to Rose Builders, in March last year.

Since shelving its plans for a new store in January 2015, the supermarket chain had been looking for other potential uses for the land.

Tesco was given planning permission for a supermarket on the land in 2011, but cancelled those plans, along with 48 other proposed stores across the country, due to financial constraints.

Rose Builders, which is based at the nearby Riverside House, in Riverside Avenue East, has yet to reveal what its plans for the site are.

Many residents are hoping the company does not waste this opportunity to clear the site and put it to use.

Charlotte Joseph, of Lydgate Close, Lawford, said: “The wasteland proposed once for a new Tesco has now been a blot on the Manningtree landscape for so long perhaps it can apply to be a World Heritage Site and acquire central government funding.

There might be Roman coins underneath which would give an incentive to start digging at least.

“This is quite a good Roman area so it is perfectly possible.

“Perhaps I should be down there with a metal detector.

“What a waste of space, to be left with this, while attractive and productive green fields are being snatched for luxury house building.

“I am fed up that all the greenfield sites are being tak en up wh en there is readily available brownfield land like this.”

Lawford councillor Carlo Guglielmi said Tendring Council is working with Rose Builders to identify the best use for the site.

He said: “I am the first one to want to see the site regenerated and tidied up.

“I hope the scheme will be something that attracts people to Manningtree.

“I would like to return to my initial condemnation of the Co-op, which initiated four judicial reviews against Tesco when it was trying to get the supermarket there.

“I felt it was trying to stop the competition.

“The supermarket could have been up and running by now as was originally planned.”

Ste ven Rose, of Rose Builders, said: “We are talking to lots of people and are in discussion with a number of interested parties.

“As of yet there is nothing carved in stone, so it would be inappropriate to say anything more at this time.

“Lots of people have been contacting me about wh at should and shouldn’t happen on the site.

“Hopefully we will have some news soon."