We Are Colchester updates

Hello and welcome to the latest We Are Colchester Update. We are very pleased to say that our bid for £25 million from the Governments Town Deal fund has now been submitted. In this newsletter we will explain what was included, how this was decided and what happens next.

The projects

This is a summary of the projects that were included in our bid:

• The creation of digital work hubs.
• Transforming facilities for young people.
• A digital skills hub at the Wilson Marriage Centre.
• Public realm improvements in the town centre.
• Restoration of Holy Trinity Church into a community hub.
• The first phase in restoring ‘Jumbo’.
• Transformation of community facilities in Greenstead.
• The accelerated introduction of 5G.
• Improved walking and cycling links across the town.

How these projects were chosen

The projects were chosen by the We Are Colchester Board, following advice from the Advisory Group. Projects were shortlisted based on the priorities that had been identified by our partners, stakeholders and the wider community, through our engagement work. The shortlisted projects were then scored against the funding criteria, before the Board made their final decisions.

The Town Investment Plan

The Town Investment Plan (TIP) is the document that has been submitted to Government.

We also commissioned the Mercury Theatre and Blank Space to produce a 2-minute film which we submitted as our 'elevator pitch' in support of the bid. This was also a good way of thinking local, buying local even before we are awarded anything by government.

Next steps

Work has already started on a Heads of Terms Agreement. This process will end early in the new year. If the government say yes to this, we will develop detailed business cases for each of the submitted projects during 2021. Once these have been approved by the Government, we will get our money and projects will be able to get started.

Engagement

Engagement is a key part of the Town Deal. We Are Colchester have a commitment to continued and expanded, meaningful engagement with our partners, stakeholders and the wider community. This work will continue through to the delivery of our projects. Only through working with the people of Colchester will we deliver projects that bring the best possible outcomes for our town.

Thank you

Preparing this bid has taken an awful lot of hard work and commitment from everyone involved. I want to say thank you, to my colleagues on the Board, Advisory Group and Assembly as well as everyone who took the time to complete our questionnaires or suggested project ideas.

I also want to say a big thank you to the staff team at Colchester Borough Council and Essex County Council who wrote the bid document. The work was completed in a very short space of time, with the added complications resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite this, they have produced a document of a very high standard that I believe will be looked upon very favourably by the Government assessors.

We should hear if our bid has been successful in the New Year. Fingers crossed we’ll get the full £25 million.

Simon Blaxill
Chair, We Are Colchester Board