October 2019 - Invest Colchester

Lodge Park Business Centre Expansion Underway

Posted on October 24, 2019 | by web@colchester.gov.uk

To tackle the shortage of serviced office facilities in Colchester, Lodge Park Business Centre is
embarking on an impressive expansion of its popular business centre just off the A12 at Langham. Rose Builders Ltd have been
awarded the construction contract and have now started work on the first new building of the planned
expansion.

This additional building will deliver a further 42 serviced desks while a second building planned to
follow will bring a further 64 desks to the market making Lodge Park Business Centre one of the biggest
in the borough. A planning application is currently under consideration by Colchester Borough Council
for further office accommodation.

The new building under construction has been specifically designed to attract professional services
organisations ranging in size from 1 to 4 people while the second will target slightly larger
organisations of up to 12 people.

Since its acquisition three years ago, Lodge Park Business Centre has undergone a major
transformation to create one of the most prestigious business centres in Colchester. Commenting on
the planned facilities, Joshua Warren, Managing Director of Lodge Park Business Centre said: “We are
delighted to bring more serviced office space to Colchester’s start-up and entrepreneurial community.
Colchester is rapidly growing and hence it is important that it has a range of offices to meet all needs
particularly high-quality serviced offices for the smaller organisations.”

“Since purchasing Lodge Park in 2016, we have been successful at establishing our business centre as
the location for Colchester’s professional services firms. They appreciate the high-quality environment
that we have created, the easy access to the A12 and A120 and the ample parking available for tenants
and visitors as well as all the other all-inclusive services we offer.”

Scheduled for completion in May 2020, Lodge Park Business Centre is being advertised locally and
through Fenn Wright incorporating Newman Commercial.

Lodge Park Business Centre is a self-contained business centre on the outskirts of Severalls, Colchester.
Adjacent to the A12 & A120 junction, it consists of 27,000 square feet of offices in a landscaped
parkland setting. Half of the offices are serviced offices on an easy in / easy out basis for the small and
medium enterprises of Colchester.

Image credit: Lodge Park

Essex’s Colchester Campus Named as University Enterprise Zone

Posted on October 21, 2019 | by web@colchester.gov.uk

Major funding to nurture and support new digital and creative businesses has been announced as the University of Essex’s Colchester Campus is named a University Enterprise Zone.

Research England and the UK Government has committed £800,000 towards the £1.3m Accelerating Innovation at the Knowledge Gatway project. Over the next two years the University will increase business and job creation by providing budding entrepreneurs with advice and practical support at the University’s 43-acre Knowledge Gateway research and technology park.

Image credit: University of Essex

Retail Industry Oscar for Colchester-based Abigail’s Collection & The Groom’s Room

Posted on October 18, 2019 | by web@colchester.gov.uk

Colchester based wedding business ‘Abigail’s Collection & The Groom’s Room’ has been celebrating after a winning an impressive national award in London yesterday. The team has scooped the ‘Bridal Independent of the Year’ title at the Drapers Independent awards 2019 where the elite of independent fashion retail came together for a day of recognition and celebration of the sector.

The awards celebrate the achievements of the very best independent fashion retailers from across the UK and Ireland, and the bestselling brands that make them so successful. This prestigious event is one of the most admired and highly respected in the industry. This year the calibre of entries was exceptionally high and demonstrates the wealth of talent and innovation across the independent sector.

Graeme Moran, Drapers head of content – fashion and features, said: “Independent retailers never fail to impress us, and this year’s entries were no different – whether it be their high standard of customer service, engaging store designs, unique mix of brands or innovative use of digital and social media. The standard of entries was particularly high this year, which is remarkable given the challenges facing fashion retail. It demonstrates the talent and innovation across the sector, as well as the passion and resilience of the UK and Ireland’s independent retailers’.

With a staggering 28 award titles now under their impressive business belt since launch in 2005 it is clear to see that Abigail’s Collection & The Grooms Room is performing and delivering excellent results despite a retail downturn! We asked business founder Abigail Neill, 43 what their wedding retail business secret of success is, she said; ‘We’re very blessed to have built an awesome bridal and menswear business, it’s very a personal and private retail space and we strive to ensure our customers feel really special. Together my Husband Rob and I employ an incredibly dedicated, passionate and hard working team. Our customers are our absolute focus and we love what we do, helping our customers plan for the biggest day of their lives is a privilege and despite the long hours it’s an amazing and very rewarding business to be in – we all feel this way. We literally love styling brides and grooms for their weddings, there’s nothing else we’d rather do! I think it’s why we achieve and win so many awards.’

Image credit: Abigail’s Collection and The Groom’s Room

University of Essex’s Global Strengths Highlighted by Latest World Rankings

Posted on October 17, 2019 | by web@colchester.gov.uk

For the third year running the University of Essex is ranked amongst the top 300 universities in the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

The rankings once again underline Essex’s international outlook and research strengths. Essex has been ranked 21st for international outlook due to the diversity of our student and academic community plus international partnerships.

Image credit: University of Essex

£100K Cricket Funding for Council’s Sports Park at Colchester’s Northern Gateway

Posted on October 16, 2019 | by web@colchester.gov.uk

The Colchester Northern Gateway Sports Park has been awarded £100,000 by the England and Wales Cricket Board, creating a strong partnership with Essex County Cricket Club and Colchester Borough Council.

The £100,000 will contribute towards a new indoor cricket facility in the north of Colchester, which will form part of the sports facilities that will be managed by Leisure World for Colchester Borough Council.

Image: Pixabay

Colchester-based Ultimotive wins Small Business of the Year Award in the Eastern Region

Posted on October 11, 2019 | by web@colchester.gov.uk

Brand licensing company Ultimotive continues their winning year with another award for 2019. Recognising and rewarding excellence in British business, the Chamber Business Awards is one of the UK’s most contested and prestigious business award programmes. Each year, from Aberdeen to Cornwall, organisations of all sizes and sectors compete for the coveted titles and the national recognition they bring.

The Small Business of the Year category is sponsored by Facebook. The ability to highlight strong financial performance as well as consistent growth secured Ultimotive, the only Essex-based company listed, with this prestigious award.

Image credit: Chamber Business Awards