Colchester: Quayside funding resolved

5:02am Friday 20th June 2008

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EXTRA money is to be paid out by Colchester Council to fund regeneration work in east Colchester.

Delays in receiving Government funding meant an environmental improvement scheme at King Edward Quay could not be completed on time.

But now Colchester Council has agreed to pay the £327,000 needed to finish the work.

The money will come from a £690,000 contribution from developers involved in regeneration of the area.

The fund can only be used for improvement work in the east Colchester area.

The council last year secured £2 million worth of funding from the Government to carry out sea wall work and paving.

The funding criteria set down said the work should be completed and all invoices paid by March 31.

However, the funding was delayed by nearly three months, throwing the programme into jeopardy.

The problems were compounded by a change in the world steel market, which meant there was a sudden limitation of steel piles.

It meant the council had to wait more than five months for the piles to be delivered, again delaying the work.

By the time the March 31 deadline came, work had not been finished on either the steel work or the paving, and the funding stopped.

A decision had to be taken on whether to raid the fund to pay for it to be completed or abandon it and sell the materials.

Helen French, renaissance delivery manager for the council, said: "We are hoping to have a substantial amount done in time for the Hythe fun day on September 13."