Fit-out work is now officially underway for both Vue and Clip ‘n Climb at Colchester Leisure Park at Northern Gateway. The two major additions are transforming the area into a premier destination for families and thrill-seekers, bringing a variety of new activities and around 80 new jobs.
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Image credit: Colchester City Council
Colchester City Council is delighted to confirm that leading cinema operator Vue is coming to Colchester Leisure Park, following the signing of a lease agreement that marks a major milestone in the development of the Northern Gateway site.
Vue, the largest cinema exhibitor by market share in the UK, will take over the vacant cinema unit after a previous deal with Cineworld fell through in 2024.
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Initial phase of the development comprises 76 acres of innovative and exciting sports and leisure facilities.
A major leisure-led development north of Colchester has received the backing of a senior judge, after an application by the Tollgate Partnership for a Judicial Review of the scheme was rejected at the High Court last week (31 May 2018).
Colchester Borough Council will continue to show that it has all the right ingredients to help businesses grow and flourish in the borough despite missing out on being one of Channel 4’s new creative hubs.
The council submitted a 20 page prospectus, developed in partnership with inward investment and business support agency INVEST Essex and the University of Essex, outlining why Colchester would be a great location for Channel 4 who are looking to move much of its production out of London to adopt a ‘multi-site operating model’.
However, neither Colchester nor the other submissions from the East Anglian area – Ipswich and Norwich – were on the shortlist announced today (30 May).
With more than 30 towns and cities around the UK entering the bidding process, it was clear that competition was fierce.
Colchester’s prospectus included three potential locations for one of Channel 4’s new bases: Colchester’s emerging Northern Gateway, the Knowledge Gateway at the University of Essex and the town centre which benefits particularly from Ultrafast Gigabit fibre Broadband.
Councillor Nick Barlow, Portfolio Holder for Commercial Services, said: “This is a blow to Colchester, but all is not lost. Colchester has all the right ingredients: a strong talent pipeline, Ultrafast Gigabit broadband, a competitive cost base, space for growth and a great network of existing companies which together are proving compelling in attracting new companies here.
“The important thing is that the partnership has been confident and bold in its bid which has put Colchester on the national map as a contender.
“We will not lose the momentum built up by the bid. We have the Mercury Theatre’s refurbishment and extension project, the redevelopment of St Botolph’s around Firstsite including a new Curzon Cinema.
“There is also the new £10m Innovation Centre at the University of Essex combined with strong interest in Colchester’s emerging Northern Gateway development proves that there is economic confidence in the town.”
Channel 4 will make its final decision on the three locations in October.
The provision of new, high-quality homes and the development of a low carbon heat network are among the benefits of three new commercially focused companies created by Colchester Borough Council. The council has set up the new companies to help maximise income generating opportunities in the face of ongoing cuts to its central government funding, to support services the Borough’s residents depend and rely on.
Plans for the Colchester Northern Gateway (CNG) scheme have received a huge boost, after the Government today awarded £5.5m to fund new infrastructure projects. The announcement follows a successful bid by Colchester Borough Council to the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), which will see the money invested in a new pedestrian boulevard, two access roads to the Axial way site and links to the main road network.
Colchester Borough Council is set to deliver a unique pilot project in the North of the Town. In the Northern Gateway regeneration area the Council is to showcase an ‘infrastructure first’ approach to build, by installing a heat network alongside Ultrafast Fibre Broadband – providing both low carbon heat and Gigabit connectivity to this new development.
Government funding from the Heat Networks Investment Pilot (HNIP) scheme has been key to unlocking this initiative, with the North Colchester Heat Network scheme being awarded £3.5m to help deliver the Heat Network in the area, making Colchester one of only nine schemes in the UK to have been awarded funding as part of this pilot project and the only scheme to look at using a water as a heat source via a water source heat pump.
District Heat networks supply heat derived from a central source to a network of two or more properties through a network of pipes. This means that individual homes and business do not need to connect to their own energy supply.
The preferred option for this scheme is an open loop water source heat pump system. This system makes use of the naturally occurring groundwater within the Aquifer (the water bearing aquifer layer) which is extracted from the ground via a borehole and then heated and pumped around the system before being returned at a lower return temperature to ensure the system is run at maximum efficiency.
The UK must reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 and Colchester is one of the fastest growing areas in the East.
With an expected population growth from 180,420 to 193,806 residents by 2020, without implementing low carbon projects such as this, Colchester could see a potential increase in carbon emissions of 11% by 2020 compared to current levels. The delivery of a water source heat network enables the delivery of low carbon heat to residents and businesses in the Northern Gateway area.
To find out more email: Jan.warren@colchester.gov.uk and follow us on Twitter: @ColchBusiness
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Cabinet approves proposal to create a heat network at Colchester’s Northern Gateway development if the Council is successful in securing Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) pilot funding.
Turnstone Estates has agreed three further pre-lets at the Northern Gateway leisure, sport and business development in Colchester. The 18 acre site will be anchored by a 12 screen cinema with Superscreen and 4DX, operated by Cineworld. This will be joined by Travelodge for a proposed 80 bedroom hotel; Smashburger, which is continuing its UK roll out of specialist burger restaurants and Lethington Leisure will bring a Paradise Island Adventure Golf Centre.