Plan to boost Colchester town centre completed

5:33pm Monday 7th January 2013 in News

A BLUEPRINT setting out how Colchester town centre should develop in years to come has been completed.

The Better Town Centre supplementary planning document sets out Colchester Council’s plans and aspirations for the town centre.

The plan can be used by would-be developers and investors to see how the local authority wants to reinvigorate the historic area during the day, evening and at night.

Comments(26)

seikothrill says...
5:52pm Mon 7 Jan 13

Colchester Council's plans - now that frightens me

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Boris says...
6:29pm Mon 7 Jan 13

It was all on show several months ago and it made no sense at all. Typical CBC timewasting.

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Dillinga says...
8:31pm Mon 7 Jan 13

How about reducing the extortionate parking charges, reducing the business rates for smaller independent retailers and moving the market back in to the high street for a start. That should help kick start some kind of recovery, sadly I thing the wasters at the town hall have left the town to rot for far too long for any kind of quick fix.

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Feisty CBC says...
9:40pm Mon 7 Jan 13

Dillinga wrote:
How about reducing the extortionate parking charges, reducing the business rates for smaller independent retailers and moving the market back in to the high street for a start. That should help kick start some kind of recovery, sadly I thing the wasters at the town hall have left the town to rot for far too long for any kind of quick fix.
Can't argue with that.

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Reginald47 says...
10:14pm Mon 7 Jan 13

Parking charges are far from extortionate - unless, of course, you choose to park with NCP.

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super waluigi says...
10:32pm Mon 7 Jan 13

Well, I for one have not seen these plans and will refuse to make shoddy biased comments until I have.

I find things like this exciting. I would like colchester to have a moderate growth and an improved centre is key.

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wellnow says...
10:44pm Mon 7 Jan 13

Consultation launched?

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Hamiltonandy says...
10:57pm Mon 7 Jan 13

This is Colchester Council's "plans and aspirations". Based on their record it will be very expensive, impractical and structurally deficient.
.
Whatever happened to the "drunk zone", the numerous traffic schemes and the "cultural quarter? The common factors are refusing to consult the public and not having the funds.

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G.Speel says...
6:04am Tue 8 Jan 13

Anything is better than what we have at the moment. Was in town centre yesterday (not by choice I might add) and it was shoddy, tatty and filthy. Disgusting place to live and visit these days which is a shame because it used to be great.

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rhetoric says...
7:44am Tue 8 Jan 13

Bring back the market to the High St, encourage some higher quality shops preferably under private ownership - how it's done is up to the Council,
cut down on night-time binge drinking and messy takeaways.
.
Town centre cinemas used to bring some life to the High St and other streets on the main grid. Yes, parking is an issue for the cinema-goer these days, but a structure of buses at coming out time would be good. We already have a great theatre. Talk to the proprietors about transport.
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A late night town to village bus service could also benefit restaurant clientele, since having a drink currently precludes driving home.
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Colchester would face a very steep upward climb to get back to its former status. Start now, work at it.
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One important item - give back the streets to the more sober, spending public and cut down on the ownership of the streets by the yob and the binge drinker/messy eater/fight-seeking minority. Those with the maximum disposable incomes are deterred from actual shopping by the unpleasantness of venturing to the shops, and thus online spending increases.

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greenbroker says...
8:36am Tue 8 Jan 13

I agree with rhetoric says...

Transport to relatively near places is non-existent late in the evening. Nothing's going to happen and never will I'm afraid. My last bus in the evening is 22.30 and I live 3 miles from Head Street. Parking in some car parks used to be free in the evening, but not anymore. The authorities are more interested in helping the drunks rather than ordinary citizens.

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TheCaptain says...
8:52am Tue 8 Jan 13

Feisty CBC wrote:
Dillinga wrote:
How about reducing the extortionate parking charges, reducing the business rates for smaller independent retailers and moving the market back in to the high street for a start. That should help kick start some kind of recovery, sadly I thing the wasters at the town hall have left the town to rot for far too long for any kind of quick fix.
Can't argue with that.
Apart from parking is more expensive Norwich, Ipswich and Cambridge.

Business rates are nationally set and cannot be altered by the Council.

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grannygrunt says...
8:57am Tue 8 Jan 13

I hope a public consultation is going to be launched - a vibrant town centre is one that serves a variety of purposes and doesn't just satisfy the whims of the Councillors.

There are some great mentioned previously which I'd echo - a reduction in the ridiculous car parking charges and a proper … yes, a proper park and ride system might help attract more people into the town.

And an urgent start should be made to regenerating upper Crouch Street and Queen Street for starters which are the town's carbuncles currently.

I'm now worried that Colchester, with its wonderful historic legacy and potential culture, has slipped way behind other towns and cities in East Anglia and that's surely not a healthy position in which to be starting 2013 whilst still facing continued economic challenges.

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Im_Like_HELLO says...
11:02am Tue 8 Jan 13

Where are these blueprints? I haven't actually seen them to make an informed comment - have you?

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romantic says...
11:25am Tue 8 Jan 13

I think it might be this:

http://www.colcheste
r.gov.uk/article/486
4/Adopted-Guidance

It all reads a bit like a glossy sales brochure, rather than messing about with anything specific or concrete. Somebody has clearly given it a lot of thought. The thing now is for everybody to decide what they really want the twon to be in a few years.

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Taj says...
11:26am Tue 8 Jan 13

rhetoric wrote:
Bring back the market to the High St, encourage some higher quality shops preferably under private ownership - how it's done is up to the Council, cut down on night-time binge drinking and messy takeaways. . Town centre cinemas used to bring some life to the High St and other streets on the main grid. Yes, parking is an issue for the cinema-goer these days, but a structure of buses at coming out time would be good. We already have a great theatre. Talk to the proprietors about transport. . A late night town to village bus service could also benefit restaurant clientele, since having a drink currently precludes driving home. . Colchester would face a very steep upward climb to get back to its former status. Start now, work at it. . One important item - give back the streets to the more sober, spending public and cut down on the ownership of the streets by the yob and the binge drinker/messy eater/fight-seeking minority. Those with the maximum disposable incomes are deterred from actual shopping by the unpleasantness of venturing to the shops, and thus online spending increases.
Dirty filthy pavements ,poor service in some shops,disgusting language from pretty grotty people combined with the above should just about cover it

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TheCaptain says...
11:27am Tue 8 Jan 13

http://www.colcheste
r.gov.uk/article/486
4/Adopted-Guidance

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Bert_Stimpson says...
1:48pm Tue 8 Jan 13

I think we need more charity shops, nail bars, amusement arcades, pound shops, coffee shops, fast food outlets, bars, payday loan sharks and pawnbrokers. Money should not be wasted on making the town centre look nice (or even clean). This money should go to the arts elite at firsts*ite and 15 Queen Street so they can continue to indulge their creative fantasies and sponge off taxpayers.

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DelA says...
1:58pm Tue 8 Jan 13

You have just described Clacton perfectly Bert.

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Boris says...
11:29pm Tue 8 Jan 13

DelA wrote:
You have just described Clacton perfectly Bert.
Clacton hasn't got a VAF, though. But it has got a pier, which is a lot better than the VAF.

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DelA says...
10:44am Wed 9 Jan 13

Please do not forget the new Bowling area by the pier, worth a trip.

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Captain SpaceAce says...
6:26pm Thu 10 Jan 13

Hamiltonandy wrote:
This is Colchester Council's "plans and aspirations". Based on their record it will be very expensive, impractical and structurally deficient.
.
Whatever happened to the "drunk zone", the numerous traffic schemes and the "cultural quarter? The common factors are refusing to consult the public and not having the funds.
Whatever happened to the Drunk Zone?! As I recall you and the mighty 'sir' Bob Russell argued that one down on Jeremy Vine's show, taking down the one decent idea Tim Young has had.

And what are we left with, 'Hamiltonandy'? Drunks in the bloomin' subway still.

Thanks a lot.

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jim_bo says...
7:02pm Thu 10 Jan 13

CBC Blueprint is that code for wasting tax payers money on some glossy brochures ?

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Hamiltonandy says...
10:42pm Thu 10 Jan 13

Sorry Captain Space, the "drunk zone" was not practical and Councillor Young knew it. I just used it as one of the numerous examples of the wacky ideas of the ineffective council leadership.
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As I said, if the public had been consulted then there was a reasonable chance of clearing the disruptive drunks from prominent public areas. It is all academic as Colchester Council had no funds to do anything. Course, if they stopped wasting our money on status symbols such as the Visual Arts Facility it might be different!
.

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theequaliser1 says...
11:13am Sun 13 Jan 13

Reginald47 wrote:
Parking charges are far from extortionate - unless, of course, you choose to park with NCP.
what planet do you live on reginald is it the world of perrin?
£1 an hour not extorniate?
as for putting oomph into the town
calling all estate agents.wine bars. poundshops. recruitment agencies.solicitors offices.government do goody agencies, like have a free dunky.
who on earth is going to come and open up a business here when the local shop owner is being stuffed with high rent and stupid business rate charges.
what about that toy store in eld lane TOZO poor bloke had to shut down.
what about lingards had to shut down.
they need sunsidised rent for 3 years on business rates for 3 years to get off the ground lets get real here.
EM RECESSION NOW LET ME SPELL THAT FOR YOU R.E.C.E.S.S.!!!!!!!!
!!!

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wellnow says...
4:04pm Sun 13 Jan 13

What we will most probably end with are more eateries with on line computer buying outlets at every table.a sort of surf while you scoff.

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