£3.5m plan for St Botolph's Circus in Colchester is revealed

Essex County Council has released the latest designs for the revamp of St Botolph’s Circus in Colchester.

The proposals will see the removal of the underpass, the simplification of junctions and new landscaping installed at a total cost of £3.5 million.

Work could start in the spring or summer of 2020, with construction set to take just over a year to complete.

County Hall says it will increase capacity over the “short to medium term” but admitted a long-term solution for the roundabout could be needed further down the line.

County Hall's designs for St Botolph's Circus

Plans for the area have been under consideration since 2017 and campaigners were hoping to see a pedestrian plaza in the centre of the roundabout, however these plans were not taken forward.

County councillor Lee Scordis (Lab, Abbey) said the latest set of plans were very disappointing.

Lee Scordis in the St Botolph's Circus underpass

“In my opinion it is a complete balls up,” he said.

“The original plans were for a pedestrian plaza area with much more around cycling than these proposals.

“It will be like a normal roundabout just with a bit of greenery and some trees.

“This was a chance to really improve the area. If they are going to spend seven figures on a project they might as well get it right.

“St Botolph’s tends to be a run down area of town and there is a problem with anti-social behaviour and some of the shops round there need tidying up.

“This could have been a chance to have a plaza with pop-up cafes and stalls and things like that.

“The plaza would have cost more so in the end this is down to money.”

READ MORE: Plans to swap St Botolph underpass for pedestrian plaza no closer

Colchester Cycling Campaign said on Twitter the changes would have little positive impact for cyclists.

Mr Scordis added: “It is clear the county council do not care about cycling; they talk the talk but in cases like this cycling is ignored.”

He said would write to County Hall’s Infrastructure boss Kevin Bentley to raise his concerns.

An Essex County Council spokesperson said a pedestrian plaza was never part of its plans.

He added: “Various options have been considered for the junction as part of an early design stage. The current proposal is the only solution that can be provided at this time with the funding that is available. 

"The changes will provide significant benefits for network users across Colchester and will allow for future improvements in conjunction with other upgrades to Colchester town centre if and when further funding is available. The chosen proposal should significantly reduce congestion compared with the current roundabout.”

All of the works will be funded through infrastructure payments following the development at Colchester Garrison.

Key components of the latest scheme include adjusting the size and shape of the island in the centre of the roundabout, changes to the junction at the entrance to Colchester Town Station and infilling the roundabout and subways.

New crossings for pedestrians and cyclists will be added.

READ MORE: St Botolph's Circus plaza plans move a step nearer

Changes could also be made to bus stops in the area to encourage traffic flow.

A traffic management plan for during the works has not yet been drawn up, however County Hall says road closures may be necessary.

Essex Highways has launched a six week engagement period where residents can share their views on the plans.

Mr Bentley urged residents to take part in the engagement period.

He said: “Improving St Botolph’s Circus will make a real difference to journeys in Colchester so we must seize this opportunity to address the issues currently experienced every day.

“I urge users of Colchester’s network to engage with the scheme and have their say on the proposals put forward.”

The plans will also go on display at Colchester Town Hall between 2pm and 7pm on Tuesday, July 2. Officers will be available to answer questions.

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