Colchester City Council has been continuing its work to improve the city centre by addressing some of the “small but important” issues that have been highlighted by residents and visitors.
These issues range from damaged walls and untidy shop fronts to toilet doors that need replacing and litter problems. An additional £50,000 has been allocated to undertake the work.
“Little things matter when it comes to creating a positive impression,” said Councillor Martin Goss, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods and Waste. “That’s why we’re committed to addressing the issues that our residents and visitors have raised and making sure that Colchester city centre is the best it can be.”
Some of the specific measures that the council is taking include:
- Replacing two toilet doors in Castle Park that have been vandalised.
- Assisting businesses needing help with painting shop fronts.
- Replacing damaged litter bins.
- Trialling ballot cigarette bins, which have proved very successful in reducing litter in some cases by 46%.
- Purchasing a new Glutton Hoover to enhance the already robust cleaning regime in the city centre.
- Working with the police to identify prolific taggers and remove graffiti as quickly as possible.
- Identifying a graffiti wall for young people to express themselves creatively.
- Purchasing new gazebos for market and community events within the city centre
The council was recently shortlisted by the Association for Public Service Excellence for Best Service: Team Street Cleaning and Streetscene Service (Public Realm) 2022. They were shortlisted from 300 submissions from across the UK. The finals will take place in September.
Councillor Goss added: “We’re committed to making Colchester city centre a clean, safe and attractive place to visit, and we’re confident that these improvements will help us achieve that goal.”
The council is also encouraging residents and visitors to report any problems they see in the city centre to the city centre team via www.colchester.gov.uk/our-community/services.
Page last reviewed: 3 August 2023