Colchester: Businesses Unveil Town Centre Plan

A group of businesses in Colchester have put forward their own plans for the town centre, after a car ban down the high street was scrapped three weeks into an 18 month trial.

Save Colchester Town Centre have set out their own proposal document which they hope will be used as the stimulus for a debate on how to improve the town centre. 

Michelle Reynolds from the group told Heart: "We've come up with a list of the big problems for us. 

"We then got a map of Colchester out and started to try and eleviate some of those problems to see if there was a solution on the table. 

"It is just a suggestion and it's to stimulate and be a catalyst for debate." 

The proposals include: 

- reducing the speed limit in the town centre from 20mph to 15mph; 

- banning motorbikes in bus lanes; 

- reintroducing 'on demand' pelican style crosing at the entrance to the old bus station on Queens Street; 

- making the left hand turns from the High St into Dutch Quarter "Access Only" or "No Through Road"; 

- Putting a bus lane down East Hill and one up North Hill. 

It comes in response to the traffic regulations brought in down the High Street which essentially banned cars from going down there. It was scrapped last month after a campaign against it. 

There were concerns from disabled groups that people with disabilities would not have easy access to the shops, instead having to go up a steep hill. 

Ms Reynolds also told Heart many of the shops in the town felt the restrictions impeded on their business, with some reporting an 85% fall. 

Save Colchester Town Centre now hope to discuss and debate the issues they have raised in the proposals with Colcester Borough and Essex County Council.