Colchester City Milestones
- 1974: Colchester borough merged with West Mersea urban district, Wivenhoe urban district, Lexden and Winstree rural district to form a new Colchester district.
- 1973 to 1974:The original Leisure World Colchester building including opened. It included the Fitness Pool, a smaller gym, sports hall and squash courts was originally built by the council (this was likely in 1973 but we didn’t want to miss this milestone out)
- 1985: Queen Elizabeth II visits Colchester Town Hall before officially opening Colchester General Hospital
- 1991: The extension of Leisure World Colchester completed to include the much-loved Leisure Pool, Aqua Springs spa and Charter Hall
- 1998: Safer Colchester Partnership formed as part of the Crime & Disorder Act (1998)
- 2002: Council achieved ‘Beacon’ status for maintaining a quality environment
- 2002: Colchester Travel Plan Club launched. We're also celebrating 20 years of Colchester Travel Plan Club in 2024! Over that time, our members have reduced single occupancy car usage from 80% to 50% for driving to work making their staff happier, healthier and doing our bit for congestion and the planet.
- 2002: Council published its first ever strategic plan!
- 2004: Queen Elizabeth II had lunch at Colchester Town Hall and delighted crowds with a walkabout in the High St, following that visited the University of Essex to mark its 40th anniversary
- 2006: Colchester awarded the title of ‘Fairtrade Town’, an official status awarded to towns that have a proven commitment to supporting Fairtrade
- 2007: The first Trees for Years event was held. Between 2007 and 2024, we have given away a total of 71,169 trees, shrubs and fruit bushes that have been planted across the city.
- 2008: Hythe Station redevelopment completed
- 2008: Colchester Garrison redevelopment completed
- 2008: Colchester Community Stadium opened
- 2009: Hosts the Tour Series Cycling event
- 2009: Won the 2009 Local Government Chronicle award for best Local Strategic Partnership
- 2010: Colchester Station upgraded
- 2011: Awarded the ‘Councillor Development Charter’ for best practice work in the way it provides learning and development opportunities for its elected members (councillors) and was reaccredited in 2015, 2018 and 2022
- 2011: Firstsite opens
- 2012: Olympic Flame comes through Colchester on its journey to London Olympics
- 2013: Launches food waste recycling at the kerbside
- 2014: Colchester Castle reopens after £4million refurbishment
- 2015: Awarded the Environmental Awareness award for the Council's Environmental Sustainability Strategy and related work
- 2015: Colchester's first Park and Ride opened
- 2016: Redevelopment of Priory Street Car Park
- 2016: Cancer Research UK’s giant water slide ‘SlideRider’ on North Hill
- 2016: Colch Skatepark near Leisure World Colchester gets a full make over
- 2016: The first Summer Screen is held in Castle Park, showcasing Wimbledon and a series of films
- 2016: Council because a Living Wage Employer
- 2016: £(million) investment in Leisure World Colchester to improve the Leisure Pool, changing rooms and Aqua Springs spa
- 2016: 37 Queen Street Creative Business Centre completed (opened for use 2017)
- 2017: Colchester Council wins the European Union's annual European Broadband Award in recognition of its innovative work in building the fibre-based connectivity networks of the future
- 2017: Alphora Place on Sheepen Road was completed
- 2017: Colchester signed up to be a City of Sanctuary
- 2017: Opening of Leisure World Colchester gyms new Functional Training Area
- 2017: £4 million refurb of Enoch House sheltered community is completed
- 2018: Council signed up to the Dying at Work Charter, which offers support to staff following a terminal illness diagnosis
- 2018: Colchester Commercial (Holdings) Ltd created
- 2019: Colchester ranked joint top performer in the Eastern Region, according to Friends of the Earth who assessed councils in different categories including renewable energy, public transport, lift-sharing, energy efficiency at home, waste recycling, and tree cover
- 2019: The council has achieved a Gold award from the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme
- 2019: Clean Air for Colchester campaign is launched to improve air quality in Colchester
- 2020: Council awarded certificate from High Sheriff of Essex in recognition of great and valuable services to the community during the Covid-19 pandemic
- 2020: Council was awarded ‘Entrepreneurial Council of the Year’ from Local Government Chronicle and ‘Best Commercial Council’ at the Municipal Journal Achievement Awards
- 2020: Awarded £18.2 million from the Government Town Deal Fund
- 2021: Mercury Rising redevelopment of Mercury Theatre completed
- 2021: Council became a Disability Confident employer
- 2021: Colchester Sports Park opened
- 2021: Colchester is granted city status as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations
- 2021: 100-year anniversary of the first council homes built in Colchester
- 2022: Stanway Lakelands Centre completed (opened for use 2023)
- 2022: Council was one of the first employers to sign up and was awarded Essex Family-Friendly Employers Charter status
- 2022: Council, which is a member of the Colchester Dementia Action Alliance (CDAA), accredited and awarded ‘Working towards becoming a Dementia Friendly Community’ status
- 2022: Colchester formally becomes a city (again)
- 2022: Welcomes their majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla to Colchester Castle and Colchester Library
- 2023: Rowan House (Council head office) reopens after refurbishment
- 2023: Knife Angel hosted by Council in Oct a contemporary sculpture formed of 100,000 knives created by artist Alfie Bradley and the British Ironworks Centre as a national monument against violence and aggression
- 2024: BBC Antiques Road Show held at First Site
- 2024: Colchester City Council celebrates 50-year anniversary
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