As we approach 2023, I am asking people to make a new year’s resolution and it’s one that we could all make and keep - to talk up Colchester.
Some people seem to love to talk Colchester down seeing the negatives but forgetting the many positives and the reasons why so many people choose to make Colchester their home. The negative voices are the minority but too often these negative voices drown out many of the good things that are happening in and around Colchester and that is to the detriment of us all.
Colchester, like any comparable size town or city, has its problems, whether it’s congestion, the state of roads and pavements, empty shops or an out-of-town shopping development that is poaching big retailers from the city centre.
However, there are so many more positives about Colchester, and we shouldn’t lose sight of these and how lucky we are to call Colchester our home.
Firstly, our environment with award winning green spaces like Highwoods Country Park and Castle Park with great facilities for children and Mersea Island and Constable country on our doorsteps not to mention just a short drive or train journey away, beautiful beaches and coastal attractions at Frinton and Walton.
For culture lovers, our regionally renowned Mercury Theatre which has just had a multi-million-pound re-development, Firstsite, our national award-winning art Gallery, the ever popular Colchester Arts Centre, the Headgate Theatre and The Minories.
Heritage you will not find anywhere else regionally including the UK’s oldest and longest Roman wall, the largest Norman keep in Europe housing a brilliant museum, the UK’s only Roman chariot racing circus, the Natural History Museum and Hollytrees. Then you have Jumbo, the largest Victorian water tower in the country which there are very exciting plans to re-generate thanks to £1 million in funding from the Government's Town Deal funding.
Colchester’s historic city centre faces criticism and yes there is work to do but wherever you are in Colchester, look up and admire the incredible architecture, the stunning Town Hall and historic buildings. Millions of pounds secured in Government Town Deal funding mans we are seeing huge investment in the public realm at St Nicholas Square and outside The Mercury and Jumbo plus bringing Colchester's historic Holy Trinity Church into use as a community centre. Retail is going through a difficult time at the moment, but Colchester has higher retail occupancy rates than comparable towns or cities. Yes, we have our fair share of eateries, barbers and coffee shops but the city centre is also a treasure trove of independent traders, and they need our support. Consumer habits have changed, and the internet is not going anywhere but nothing will replace the experience of shopping and it’s incumbent on us to make Colchester city centre a more attractive place to spend the day.
For those seeking a day on the wild side, Colchester Zoo which is a major tourist attraction and enabler of significant international conservation work of which we should all be proud.
Colchester has a long military heritage of which we are rightly proud and with Colchester being the permanent home of the elite of the British Army, 16 Air Assault Brigade, we are the home of heroes who step up at short notice willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in defence of the freedoms we hold dear.
Our city is home to world class education establishments from the University of Essex, Colchester Institute, University Centre, Colchester, Colchester 6th Form College, our grammar schools, secondary schools and primary schools and early years settings.
Colchester has a vibrant local economy and a relatively low unemployment rate. We are a creative hub and home to hundreds of small and medium enterprises. It is that entrepreneurial nature of Colchester and wider Essex that gives our city it’s resilience. New innovation hubs and business incubation centres will ensure that we continue to be a welcoming environment to start and grow a business.
Leisure World and Aqua Springs have been popular leisure destinations for families for years, but Colchester has many more leisure attractions and we have more coming with the ongoing development at Northern Gateway. This is on top of the ever-popular Colchester United, Colchester Cricket Club and Colchester Rugby Club.
Colchester Civic traditions are not for the select few but for everyone and one of our towns unique selling points. From the opening of the Colchester Oyster Fisheries by the Mayor to civic events like the St George’s Day parade to events at our Town Hall, the Christmas market and Remembrance Sunday which sees thousands of people line the streets of Colchester to pay their respects and watch the subsequent parade.
Local news is a relatively unique feature of Colchester. The Colchester Gazette is still a daily paper which is a rare thing for a town or city of our size and something we should cherish. It provides superb coverage of local news, views and events and is a lifeline for many who are no longer able to get out and about as much as they used to.
Colchester is uniquely placed being just 50 minutes from London Liverpool Street station and has brilliant transport links. London, Stansted Airport, Southend Airport and Harwich International Port are only a short car, bus or train journey away. Significant improvements have been made to Colchester’s Road and rail network, including tens of millions of pounds spent on the roads and £1 billion spent on an entire new fleet of trains. Yes, I know we still have considerable congestion at peak times and the roadworks underway on the A12 are causing delays at the moment but the A12 desperately needs the upgrade, and you all know the saying ‘you cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs’
Last but certainly not least, Colchester Hospital of which we should all be very proud. Our hospital has had multi-million-pound investment in the past few years leading to significant upgrades of the front of the hospital and Emergency Department and new facilities like the Elective Orthopaedic Centre. Most of all it is all those who work within our hospital and NHS of whom we are proud and play such an important part in Colchester life.
And on this note, I’ll conclude that what makes Colchester special is all of the above and much much more but more than any one venue, place, structure or building, it is the people that make Colchester special. Like thousands of others who call Colchester home, I am not a Colcestrian by birth but by choice. I love living here, I am immensely proud of our city and for as long as I have the honour of representing the people of Colchester in Parliament, I will be unapologetic and relentless in talking up Colchester at every opportunity to anyone that will listen.
My only ask is that when making our new year resolutions, we all make 2023 the year in which we talk up our wonderful city. Yes, constructively point out what we can improve to make it an even better place to live and work but collectively celebrate all that is great about Colchester, the place we proudly call our home.