Grant cut puts brakes on regeneration plans (From Gazette)

Grant cut puts brakes on regeneration plans

12:10am Thursday 21st January 2010 in

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REGENERATION projects in North Essex have been hit after a regional funding body saw its Government grant cut.

Colchester and Tendring were due to get £6.4million from Haven Gateway Partnership to pay towards major road schemes and initiatives.

Instead, a total of £4.3million will be paid between now and the end of the 2010/11 financial year, as the Government has reined in spending to combat soaring debt.

Colchester’s new A12 junction will get £1.09million, down from the £1.5million announced in April.

Bosses said this was because of revised cost estimates and the scheme would still be going ahead.

But several other projects have fallen off the agenda altogether for the next financial year.

Steve Clarke, Haven Gateway’s interim development director, said: “Schemes like the A12 junction got what they wanted because they are already going ahead.

“But we had to balance things around and it needed an active management process to arrive at a workable programme.”

Affected schemes in the area include:

* Improving roads, lighting and leisure facilities in Jaywick. £100,000 was to be spent next year on working with residents to develop a plan, but the cash has been withdrawn

* Clacton regeneration – £623,000 instead of £730,000 will be spent on improving the area around the pier

* Harwich regeneration – £1.1million will be spent instead of £1.6million

* The creative business centre earmarked for Colchester’s proposed cultural quarter. £91,000 will be spent on the scheme instead of £200,000.

* The planned park and ride scheme near Colchester’s community stadium. £140,000 for a study to make the case for it is no longer in the budget

* Proposals to turn an old breakers’ yard at the Hythe, in Colchester, into a park. £50,000 funding has been withdrawn.

Haven Gateway is a quango with representatives from councils in North Essex and South Suffolk, as well as companies which run ports, including Harwich and Felixstowe.

It aims to fund schemes to boost growth by bringing jobs, including through road improvements, which allow ports to expand.

Councils to fund park and ride

FEW of the projects affected by the funding cut will be axed altogether, Haven Gateway chief executive David Ralph pledged.

He said some of the schemes which received less money have attracted cash from other sources.

The study on park and ride in north Colchester will now be jointly-funded by Essex County Council and Colchester Council. Mr Ralph said as the new A12 junction meant the park and ride proposal was now a likely prospect, it was worthwhile for the two authorities to fund it.

He added other schemes which have been removed from the budget would be dealt with in future years.

Mr Ralph said: “In some cases, the recession has meant projects have been delayed.

“There are hardly any I can think of which will not be going forward in the long-term.”

The planned Colchester park and ride scheme would see drivers leave their cars on the other side of the A12 at the community stadium.

They would use the new junction to travel by bus into town via Northern Approach Road, which is being extended.