Date issued 27 February 2020
The first Colchester Town Assembly was held yesterday (Wednesday) as part of developing the We Are Colchester programme to create a long-term vision for unlocking more jobs and prosperity for the town.
Around 40 people attended the event at the Moot Hall which gave a range of local people the opportunity to find out about the new We Are Colchester partnership, launched last month, which involves public, private and voluntary organisations.
The partnership is drawing up a wide-ranging and forward-thinking vision building on the borough’s already vibrant economy and making the best use of the historic, cultural and other assets the borough has to offer.
At last night’s event people also had the chance to share their initial thoughts and ideas that – together with the results of the recent public survey which had nearly 300 responses - will help shape a Town Investment Plan.
This plan will be used to bid for up to £25 million from the Government’s Town Fund, with Colchester being one of 100 areas across the country given the opportunity to bid for money from this fund. It will also be used to seek to lever in funding from other sources to help turn the agreed vision into reality.
Simon Blaxill, the Chair of We Are Colchester, said: “Colchester is a rich and vibrant place – but there is so much more we can do with everyone working together to further unlock our economic potential for the benefit of everyone living and working in the borough.
“Last night’s event gave us a great opportunity to bring people from a wide range of backgrounds across the borough together to give us a broad range of local views.
“We will be looking to run more of these assembly events as the plan develops to ensure we have an approach that enables us to develop every opportunity supporting our future prosperity and job creation.”
Page last reviewed: 27 February 2020