Colchester to benefit from £18m government Towns Fund

Colchester is set to benefit from more than £18m in government funding

Funds of £18.2m have been confirmed by the government to help a city improve tourism and the local economy.

Colchester has been awarded the money as part of the Towns Fund, with the first instalment of £5.8m being made available for 2022-23.

The city was awarded the funds in March 2021 but it has just been confirmed.

We are Colchester - made up of the borough and county councils and businesses - said it would help deliver a range of "ambitious" projects.

Colchester's Jumbo water tower restoration project is set to be helped by the new funding

Among the projects planned are:

• Developing the former Essex County Hospital

• Restoring Holy Trinity Church

• Restoring the water tower Jumbo

• Improving community facilities in the Greenstead area

• Improving walking and cycling links between the Town Centre, Greenstead and the university.

The funding will also speed up the introduction of 5G infrastructure to enable the delivery of virtual reality tourism initiatives and other options, the group said.

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Simon Blaxill, who chairs the We are Colchester board, said: "This significant investment will bolster local businesses, creating and sustaining jobs for the future.

"I am looking forward to working with the community and local stakeholders to bring forward these exciting projects."