Colchester residents says Castle Park is closed too frequently

Colchester Castle Park has become a go-to destination in recent years for everyone from established musicians to festival organisers.

This summer, for example, the large green space has staged the likes Westlife, Simply Red, the Colchester Roman Festival and much more.

In the lead-up to those events taking place, the park is often shut off to the public while certain infrastructure is installed.

But Mark Goacher, Colchester councillor for Castle ward, says the closures have not gone down well with his constituents.

“Concerns have been raised again by residents about the frequency of the closure of parts of Castle Park due to summer events,” he said.

“This has been of particular concern to families and dog walkers - residents use it to enjoy nature but they have found they can’t do that so much.

"I’m going to try and explore if at least part of Lower Castle Park can be open to allow greater access while allowing these events to continue.

"I will pass these concerns on to Amphora Trading, who oversee the events and ask them to explore how access to the park can be improved during the summer event season.”

Bosses at Colchester Events, which is part of Amphora Trading, have now said they will look into how they can maintain the park's accessibility.

A spokesperson for Colchester Events said: “In order to facilitate large scale events, we sometimes need to restrict public access to certain areas in Lower Castle Park.

“Every effort is made to limit these closure times and only then when there is a health and safety risk to the public.

“Many of the events that take place are ticketed, and an entry fee is required to gain access, but we are investigating different ways of working to maximise public access while preparations for major events take place.

“Fortunately, when areas of Lower Park are restricted, the public can still enjoy access to the beautiful Upper Park and Kings Meadow.”