Could someone please explain to me why Colchester Council, if successful in gaining up to £25million in Government funding as part of the We Are Colchester partnership, intends in part to spend some of it on the old Essex County Hospital site, plus the first phase of repairing Jumbo when they are not owned by the council? (Gazette, November 4, “£25m plan to unlock town’s regeneration”)

Jumbo has previously been owned by a number of businessmen who had the money to repair and run it as a going concern, but the council has rejected every planning application put forward, preferring to let Jumbo fall even further into disrepair.

The current owner does not appear to have the money to maintain Jumbo and as far as I can find out has never submitted any planning application for it.

The council is constantly advising us it is cash strapped this year, possibly due in part to spending over £2million in the failed new garden communities and having to pay compensation for the cancelled elephant statue.

So why is it considering spending money on privately-owned structures?

I agree with David King, Colchester Council’s councillor for business, that the £25million could make big improvements across the whole town, but only if it is spent wisely and not on privately-owned sites.

A bus station would be a good start.

A Foster

Prettygate