A CAMPAIGN aiming to make Colchester a better place to live, work in and visit has officially launched.

Spending £2 million of taxpayers’ money over the next two years, Colchester Council will focus a range of improvements including:

  • improving the borough’s infrastructure,
  • transforming its heritage assets,
  • cleaning its streets, and
  • working with the police to increase their presence in the town to make residents feel safer.

To highlight the work being done across the borough and allow residents to keep up to speed with the project, a new Instagram account has launched for the Better Colchester campaign.

Mark Cory (Lib Dem), leader of Colchester Council, said: “I’m doing this job, as leader of the council, because I genuinely want to make our borough better and people’s lives in our town better.

“I am really excited about this campaign.

“I have already said that I’m committed to listening and co-operating to achieve the very best for Colchester, which is why it’s also vitally important that we actually shout about what is being done.”

And here's what you said must be done:

Judy Cairns

As visitors from Australia a few months ago we can see the town is very unclean and does smell of urine as many people say.

The pavements are a huge issue, they need a good clean and also we watched so many adults and children trip over while walking around town as pavements very very uneven. They are shocking.

"Also, you are the oldest recorded town in Great Britain, so utilise that and help expand that part.

"We found the cost of parking put us off going into the town.

"The homeless situation also needs looking into.

"There are so many vacant shops as well."

Tracy Ashby

Make more of the amazing history like York does, we are the oldest town in England but you wouldn't think so except for the castle.

The council is really missing a trick and have been for years. In fact they seem to have allow most of the history to be built over and hidden."

Andrew Coupe-Harris

"£2 million is not much in the grand scheme of things, so I'd focus on two main avenues.

"First, transportation. Promotion of Park and Ride services to reduce town congestion. Also more effort on road maintenance - some roads resemble more dirt track than tarmac.

"Second, welfare. Get the homeless off the streets by offering some sort of assistance, perhaps together with Open Road or similar. And some sort of youth scheme or project to give them things to do.

"Better things than breaking into swimming pools or acting like group thugs in Castle Park."

Lorna Sandra Davey

"Myself and my partner have just moved to Colchester and it's been a month this week, but from my experience so far, something needs to be done to help the homeless in the area.

"I think in terms of roads and transport, people tend to take this for granted.

"Personally, I think the transport in Colchester is absolutely brilliant, and a lot of it!

"The buses are frequent and sure, the roads might need resurfacing, but the health of people in need comes first!

"The events happening in Colchester have been brilliant - Castle Park has so much to offer, and the Firstsite is doing amazing with their events! And the High Street is a really beautiful and clean place to be.

"It would be nice to see some more events happening in different parts of the town, and maybe some more to involved the great history of Colchester!"

James Wood

"I would like to see more events on the high street and castle park to get people back into the town.2

Lauren Porter

"Get rid of bus lanes, especially the one near castle park everyone turns around at Firstsite which I find really quite dangerous when there is a lot of traffic.

"Homeless off the streets, parking for less. No one should pay to come into town. That’s why town centres go down hill and people go to retail parks as you don’t have to pay to park."

Chris Francis

"I think they need to have a pedestrian-only High Street and hold more events on the High Street to bring locals and people from around the world closer which would then help are tourist industry and also hold events i.e. markets with stalls for employment and jobs to help the rise of unemployment which would then help the younger generation and stop crime."

Sue Goodwin

"Enhance the history of the town to encourage tourism.

"Build quality buildings that compliment the ancient oldest recorded town of Colchester - not sure holiday makers will come to see more housing /ugly buildings /concrete jungles!"

Carole Shilan

"A covered market or low rent spaces to encourage independent, creative, shops and businesses, greengrocers etc, and also pavements that you can walk on without tripping over."

Rachael Bartle

"Sort the homeless problem, more police, let the shops have shutters and turn the lights back on at night.

"The towns crime rate is the biggest issue right now."