A £20m funding bid to support improvements to Colchester’s city centre will be submitted to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund. The bid, led by Colchester Borough Council, in partnership with Essex County Council, supports both authorities’ pledge to tackle inequality and boost the local economy.
The focus will be on several high-profile projects to improve the feel of the city centre, attract more visitors and increase footfall by redeveloping the St Botolph’s area, reduce antisocial behaviour, and tackle poor air quality and traffic congestion.
A successful bid will kick-start a series of works to improve public safety and making it easier to walk or cycle into the centre, including a new road layout and removing underpasses. It would also create a new public realm space that helps build a traffic-free route from St Botolph’s Priory to Colchester Castle and Castle Park, while celebrating more of the heritage in the area, and providing a convenient new hub for storing and hiring bikes, e-bikes, e-cargo bikes and e-scooters.
The bid also proposes to complete the existing Town Deal kerbless route from Head Street to Queen Street, and to support businesses to improve shop fronts in the St Botolph’s area.
(image credit: Essex Highways)
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