I JUST want to (hopefully) finally nail the myths about Colchester Council’s use of tourism statistics which will, I trust, end the insults, misrepresentation and abuse that I, and the council, have been receiving in the pages of the Gazette and on social media.

The facts are these:

  • A visitor is a person
  • A visitor can make multiple visits (or trips) within and to a destination  
  • Each visit (or trip) generates local income and supports jobs
  • ‘Tourists’ are only a part of the visitor economy. That’s why many tourist information centres were rebranded as visitor information centres.

The Cambridge Model is nationally recognised by VisitEngland, Visit Britain and all the major grant funding bodies as a reliable method to estimate the economic impact of tourism within a district or borough in terms of volumes of visitor trips, value of spend and jobs sustained.

Colchester has subscribed to this model since 1993, so by all political parties and administrations over the last 23 years, and the data has helped to make the case for many millions of investments in tourism developments by both the public and private sectors in and around Colchester, including:

  • Firstsite
  • Redisplay of Hollytrees Museum
  • Redisplay of Castle Museum
  • Five new hotels (North Hill was previously the Peveril): Star Anglia, North Station Road; Greyfriars, East Hill; Blue Ivy, North Hill; Premier Inn, St Peter’s St; North Hill Hotel Holiday Inn Express, Langham; plus one to come in North Colchester near stadium, and one to come in St Botolph’s.

And let’s not forget the £30 million investment made by Fenwick and their mega-impressive new department store, plus the new Curzon cinema and the Creative Business Centre soon to open.

Oh, and the multi-million pound redevelopment and expansion of the Mercury Theatre.

Colchester, thanks to its progressive and forward-looking council, is thriving and improving.

Let’s get behind our wonderful town and cease the carping criticism.

Cllr Tim Young, Deputy leader and councillor responsible for culture and regeneration Colchester Council, Mascot Square, Colchester

Editor’s note: We thank Tim for the explanation, which we have requested previously. In the spirit of pursuing the same goals as the council in promoting the borough as a tourist destination and supporting its businesses, correspondence on the issue is closed.

  • Just concentrate on tackling stink

I TOTALLY agree with K Boormans letter and also his comments at the end to Mr Scordis and Mr McGonagle.

Out of curiosity as he is a councillor, I Googled Mr Scordis, as I lived in his borough for most of my life.

He seems an enthusiastic guy who wants to get involved (and I admire him for that) but the one thing missing in the question and answers to him was the never-ending problem of the sewage works stink.

Question 16: What is the biggest problem in the ward you are standing in. Answer: Hythe flooding, illegal parking in Cavendish Ave, dog mess, deprivation, neglect, and apathy.

Personally since the smell the other day as I drove down Whitehall Road was absolutely disgusting (as usual) I would have thought that trying to do something about that would be something to take his mind off the mostly made up stories about hate crime.

John Birch Colchester Road, West Bergholt

  • It’s time to vote out this coalition

SO Colchester Council can’t afford to continue with its responsibilities to Colchester residents when it comes to refuse collection et al, but can find millions to fund the arts, thousands for repeated consultations and now £6 million for the so-called Vineyard Gate development.

I hope Colchester residents remember all this come election time - the “old” Lib/Labour “squander bug” members need to be removed.

Bob Dove Launceston Close, Colchester

  • Tip cuts could lead to more flytipping

IT was very interesting reading about flytipping in last week’s paper. How many residents are aware of the changes being made at Kirby-le-Soken recycling centre?

Surely these changes will cause even more flytipping.

No one has been informed of what they are intending to do as of October 31 this year (in case you want to print it and also let people know), unless you go to the tip where they are handing out leaflets.

I wonder what other bright ideas are installed for us.

What exactly do we pay council tax for as everything is getting cut and we’re just accepting it.

Gwen Young Chamberlain Avenue, Walton