Colchester: £12m plan to revamp St Boltoph's Circus revealed

An ambitious £11.8million redevelopment plan has been unveiled, showcasing a new vision for St Botolph’s Circus.

It follows a consultation involving more than 2,000 residents who had a say in shaping the future of the city for decades to come.

Over the summer, the county and city councils engaged with the community to gather insights into their preferences, ideas, and concerns regarding Colchester Council’s masterplan for the city centre.

Redevelopment - Colchester Council and Essex County Council have unveiled their plans to regenerate St Botolph's Circus (Image: Colchester Council)

Of the 2,000 respondents, more than 530 provided their views on the St Botolph's development.

Many of those who participated live close by or use it regularly as a transport gateway.

The project aims to improve accessibility while connecting the area to the city centre, creating a better balance between pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists for decades to come.

There was also strong support for the need to improve the look and feel of the area, remove the outdated underpasses, and reclaim road space to create a vibrant public space that will contribute to the regeneration of the city centre.

'A remarkable scheme'

Colchester Council leader David King thanked everyone who helped shape the proposals for the project, which will be supported by government funding, including the Levelling Up Fund and Towns Fund.

“It is exciting that we can work in such a collaborative way, to shape the future of our city together,” he said.

Exciting - Colchester Council leader David King (Image: Newsquest)

Kevin Bentley, leader of Essex County Council, said “remarkable collaboration” had helped shape the “extraordinary project”.

“By reclaiming road space, people can now relax and enjoy exciting new businesses and pop-up retail experiences,” he added. “This remarkable scheme meets the needs of our community today and for the decades to come.”

Remarkable - Essex County Council leader Kevin Bentley

The St Botolph's Circus redevelopment marks the beginning of wider regeneration plans for the area, including laying the foundations for a future bus interchange and a new heritage walking route.

Colchester Council also hopes to use its government funding to regenerate Saint Nicholas Square and Balkerne Gate, to improve cycling infrastructure, and to bring the city’s heritage assets back into public use.

What do Colchester residents think of the plans?

Colchester resident Becky Lawrence was pleased to see the council had listened to feedback and revisited traffic and safety concerns and welcomes the investment in improving the “run down and deprived” looking area of Colchester.

“With it being so close to Colchester Town station, it’s disappointing that it’s what visitors first see when they come into town,” the Highwoods resident said.

She added she is unsure if the project will be worth the hefty price tag, but that she looks forward to seeing the result.

Maarten Westera, of the Save Colchester High Street Campaign, said: “Hopefully these plans will see an improvement in the St Botolph’s area in general. The whole area is in desperate need of doing up, and any money spent on improving our city centre is greatly welcomed.”

He added he is pleased a roundabout will remain in place as he feels it is important to accommodate all types of traffic heading towards the city centre, including cars.

The city’s cyclists also welcomed the plans, including Stuart Johnson, who is the chairman of the Colchester Cycling Campaign.

“Roundabouts can be notoriously unsafe for cyclists so we will be eager to see how the design makes it safe and convenient for cyclists to use this important junction that currently acts as a major barrier for people choosing to walk, wheel and cycle,” he said.