MORE than 450 people have signed a petition urging Government bosses to give plans for a state-of-the-art cinema and other leisure facilities the green light.

Plans for the iMax multiplex at Northern Gateway were given the go ahead by Colchester Council's planning committee last month, alongside a host of other facilities including restaurants, an 80-bed hotel and leisure facilities.

But because the development deviates slightly from the adopted Local Plan, council bosses referred it to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who will have to decide whether he conducts a full inquiry or signs off on the plans.

Colchester MP Will Quince (Con) has backed the scheme and written a letter of support to Mr Javid.

His decision has been delayed but Mile End councillors Dominic Graham and Phil Coleman (Lib Dem) have set up a petition to be presented to Mr Javid to show support for the scheme.

The councillors have accused MP for Witham Priti Patel of trying to block the development - claims which have been totally refuted by her.

Mr Graham said: "Ms Patel has overstepped the mark.

"It is incredible for her to attempt to block this popular multiplex cinema development, which has received approval from a cross-party planning committee, in another part of Essex.

"Colchester is not her constituency and this has precisely nothing to do with her."

Mrs Patel said: "The claims the Lib Dems make about my involvement are factually incorrect and desperate.

"In my role as a constituency MP I was copied into a submission made to the Secretary of State about Northern Gateway and drew it to his attention in the course of doing my job representing my constituents.

"I make hundreds of representations on behalf of constituents each month to a range of different authorities and the fact that the Lib Dems have a problem with this shows the extent to which they ignore the people."

To sign the petition go to change.org and search for Northern Gateway.