£18.2 million Town Deal boost for Colchester

Dynamic plans to help deliver long-term economic growth for Colchester can move forward, following the award of £18.2m from the Government’s Town Deal Fund.

This significant investment, announced by the Chancellor in his budget on 3 March, follows a bid for funding by the board of the We are Colchester partnership involving public, private and voluntary organisations.

The partnership was formed in 2020 after Colchester was chosen as one of 101 towns across the country that could apply for up to £25 million from the Government’s Town Deal Fund.

This funding boost means a range of projects with wide-reaching benefits for residents and communities across the city can now be taken forward. Among the schemes that could be taken forward are:

• the creation of digital work hubs
• the transformation of facilities for young people
• a digital skills hub at the Wilson Marriage Centre (Barrack Street)
• public realm improvements in the town centre
• restoration of 1,000-year-old Holy Trinity Church, and the first phase in restoring our iconic Victorian water tower ‘Jumbo’
• transformation of community facilities in Greenstead
• the accelerated introduction of 5G
• improved walking and cycling links across the town.

The projects will draw on lessons learned from Covid-19, and further boost the ongoing recovery work, to help make Colchester a greener, healthier place to live and work.

It is expected this major investment will attract further outside investment into the city, generate and sustain jobs into the future, and give increased confidence to local businesses.

The investment adds to the bold vision for how Colchester could look by 2030, unveiled by the council as part of our commitment to help grow the city’s economy for all, support our residents’ ambitions, and boost efforts to make it a greener and healthier place to live, work and visit.

Our strategic vision is being backed by a £43 million investment package, including a host of schemes tackling climate change, enhancing economic growth so everyone benefits, supporting health and wellbeing, improving homes, and making the city an even more attractive destination.