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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This new development will see the construction of an approximate 3000m2 naturalistic lion habitat, complete with scrubland planting areas, mature tree cover, rocky outcrops, dens and water bodies, all of which will encourage the animal’s natural behaviours. The aim of the new exhibit is to encompass the feeling of exploring Africa’s wildlife, discovering a number of species including meerkat, aardvark, fennec fox and of course, African lions.
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The UK Government has awarded £4.3m to develop the Thames Estuary Production Corridor, a collaborative project aiming to put the South East’s creative industries at the heart of the national industrial strategy. The University of Essex and the University of Kent are working together as part of the ambitious collaboration which also brings together local authorities plus the South East Local Enterprise Partnership. The funding will support tailored local plans that use culture to create jobs, boost tourism and ultimately regenerate communities.
Image Credit: Mercury Theatre: The Mercury Theatre has confirmed that its £9m redevelopment plan, Mercury Rising, will go ahead following an exceptional award of £1.2m from the European Regional Development Fund.
Image Credit: The Observer: One of Colchester’s most popular restaurants, The Church Street Tavern, was celebrating today after coming a close second in The Observer Food Monthly Awards 2018. The restaurant, which has recently extended its bar was awarded ‘Runner Up’ in the Best Places to Drink category.
Image Credit: Colchester Arts Centre: Colchester Arts Centre has been awarded £499,000 funding from the Arts Council for a bold capital project that will transform the venue’s accessibility for deaf and disabled artists and audiences, as well as improving energy efficiency and technical infrastructure.
Ryanair has announced it will open a new base at Southend Airport with three aircraft at an investment of $300million. 55 new flights a week to eight new countries including Ireland (Dublin), Spain(Bilbao) and Italy (Milan).
The team at Colchester Castle Museum were celebrating today after VisitEngland announced that it had won one of its 2017 ‘attractions accolades’ in recognition of the quality visitor experiences on offer. The Castle Museum reopened to a considerable fanfare after a £4.2m redisplay in 2014.
Emirates Announces New Stansted – Dubai Route
HolidayLettings.co.uk is the UK’s leading travel website and a TripAdvisor company, has shortlisted Colchester Castle in a public competition to decide on the UK’s Most Popular Castle. VisitColchester has mobilised the vote on Twitter to encourage support for the Castle Museum which recently underwent a £4.2m redevelopment. An article about the Castle has been published on the Holiday Lettings website which attracts an audience of around 7m visitors a month and it will be promoted through their social media channels to more than 250,000 followers.
The competition is open until midnight on 20th June and you can vote here: