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A Union of People and Places
The Interreg IIIb North SEAfaring Programme is one of several EU funded initiatives working on the river Colne. The North SEAfaring Programme has invested money in a range of projects that thread together the traditions and stories of the Colne estuary. North SEAfaring has funded the Regatta in Rowhedge and the educational work of the 150 year old sailing smack Pioneer, in Brightlingsea. In Colchester the programme is hoping to establish a community project that reveals the history of the Hythe. All of these projects are about engaging people, helping them to value this amazing corner of Essex. They all bring the history of the Colne to life in different ways.
The Pioneer Sailing Trust gives people an opportunity to experience life under sail, using the exhilaration of a historic fishing vessel to teach life enhancing skills. The innovative educational programme reaches out into classrooms, inspiring young people with a multi media experience, so they gain insight into the river and how it has been used. (www.pioneersailingtrust.org.uk)
In Colchester, the Town to Sea Trail is proposing to reconnect the town and the river - connecting places, people and the past. The idea is to create a trail for walkers and cyclists that starts (or finishes) at the new firstsite:newsite arts centre, before heading down East Hill, across the Moors and into the Hythe, to follow the course of the river. Public art along the route would create navigational landmarks. The artworks could be inspired by the area’s traditions and wildlife - explaining for instance, that the area was a port and an important industrial centre. Equally important is the artist’s contribution – helping to forge a new identity for the Hythe.
For further information about the Town to Sea trail, please contact Jonathan Rochford on +44 (0) 1206 863513.
Sea Cadets scout for rubbish – November 2006
As part of ongoing work to tidy up the Hythe, the Colchester Sea Cadets and the Brightlingsea Harbour Commissioners took to the water last month to help remove over one hundred items from the river including a wheelchair,17 shopping trolleys, two sun loungers and an urn. The cadets sailed along King Edward Quay and Hythe Quay marking areas where they found rubbish. The Brightlingsea Harbour Commissioners then returned a week later, with a barge to remove the offending items.
Councillor Brian Jarvis, portfolio holder for renaissance, said; "Everyone involved worked extremely well helping to remove the rubbish and we would like to thank them for all their hard work.
"The residents and local businesses of East Colchester have decided enough is enough and decided to take action in breathing life back into the area. It's through activities like these that we can help improve the Hythe and revive the area to a place that people will take pride in."
Councillor Jarvis added; "We would also like to remind people that dumping rubbish and waste in any river is an environmental crime and a serious offence which could result in a fine up to £50,000 and 12months imprisonment."
The event, co-ordinated by Colchester Borough Council was organised in partnership with Anglian Water, The Colchester Sea Cadets, the Brightlingsea Harbour Commissioners, the Hythe Residents Association and the EU North SEAfaring programme.
For more information contact:
Jonathan Rochford, Project Officer, North SEAfaring, East Colchester Regeneration Office, Colchester Borough Council, Hythe Quay on +44 (0) 1206 863513
Hythe Heritage Open Day - September 2006
T.S Colne Light (ship) at King Edward Quay will open to the public for free on Saturday 9 September 2006 between 2 - 5pm as part of the national Heritage Open Days, England's largest voluntary cultural event co-ordinated by the Civic Trust.
Colchester Sea Cadets will be giving guided tours of the Light (ship), providing the public with the opportunity to look over its workings and imagine the living conditions of those who used to operate it.
Many historic properties throughout Colchester will open their doors for this event which runs from 7 - 10 September, of which, the Light (ship) is the latest to be added to this list. St. Leonard's Church in the Hythe will also be open to the public on Saturday from 10am to 6pm.
Councillor Brian Jarvis, Portfolio Holder for Renaissance said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for the public to discover more about the rich and diverse heritage that the Hythe has and to visit what has become a real landmark for East Colchester."
The North SEAfaring programme in Colchester whose central aim is to raise the status of maritime heritage has helped to organise the opening of the Light (ship) for this weekend.
The Colne Light (ship) was built in 1954 and arrived in Colchester in 1995 when she was decommissioned and became a sail training ship for the Colchester Sea Cadets. The ship is listed on the National Register of Historic Vessels.
For more information or photographs of the Light (ship) or for photo opportunities contact Jonathan Rochford, Project Officer (North Seafaring) on Tel: +44(0) 1206 863513.
Fun at the Hythe - August 2006
Colchester Mayor Cllr Richard Gower will officially opened the Hythe Funday on Saturday [26 August].
As well as bringing the community together, the event also attracted visitors into the area, to celebrate East Colchester's heritage and helped get residents involved in new activities.
Cllr Gower said: "For too long now, the Hythe has been overlooked as a run down industrial part of the town. The Funday will help the Hythe community to show the rest of the town, and its visitors what an interesting place the Hythe is, while restoring local pride among residents, and helping to bring the Hythe back to its former glory."
The bells of St Leonard's Church rang at 10am to launch the day. The Church was open throughout the day, with activities taking place inside, including talks by local historian Patrick Denney. There were various Hythe heritage displays, including Colchester Engineering Society acknowledging Paxmans, and The Lathe Company to name but a few.
The Colchester Area Community Church, which is housed in the 15 century building which was once the Dolphin pub, opened its courtyard garden for the day for heritage displays, films of local interest, face painting and free refreshments.
Other events on the day included:
· A Hythe discovery trail
· Tours of the Lightship, hosted by the Sea Cadets
· Local band Fuzz Face performed their new single
· Fuzztone Lilly the battle of the bands winner also put in an appearance
· Kite making and mini-beast workshops with local artist Wendy Fransella
· DJ mixing and graffiti workshop by Power Play Sound System featuring DJs Blunt, B-Stylee and Dr Jay
· Street dance performances choreographed by Katie Capper
· A Samba workshop and Ghanaian drumming
· Walkabout storyteller John Roe told tales of travel and adventure
· The Colne Valley project displayed a bug box building.
Clifford Hinds, Colchester Regeneration Project Officer, said: "This is very much a community event, bringing together many organisations from the Hythe area. We hope that the event will be sustainable in years to come, and become an important feature of the Hythe regeneration."
The event was free and will ran from 10am to 4pm, with some of the sessions taking place at the Hythe Community Centre.
For more information contact Clifford Hinds, Colchester Regeneration Project Officer, on +44 (0) 1206 863998
UK students to study the regeneration of East Colchester – July 2006
Geography and Business Studies students across the country will be learning about the challenges of regenerating the Hythe in East Colchester at school, thanks to Essex Education Business Partnership.
The educational pack was officially launched by students from St Benedict’s and Stanway accompanied by their teachers to Albany Gardens to meet representatives of Colchester Borough Council who have just completed a public consultation on the Master Plan for the area. Albany Gardens is a Barratt’s development where 211 flats and houses have been built on an area that was a brownfield site when the resource pack was first suggested in 2002.
Project Director Hilary Sellens said: “Funding from Essex EBP enabled two of our Colchester teachers to take time off school to write a resource pack entitled The Hythe Challenge. It will be a great help in raising students’ awareness of the planning process and of the many career options related to working in the built environment.”
The pack brings together the local knowledge of professional planners, real-life case studies and original source material. It was written by Heather Blackwood, Head of Geography at The Stanway School and John Deasy, Director of Business & Enterprise at St Benedict's Catholic College. Mr Deasy has already released the resource pack to fellow Business & Enterprise Directors who attended their national conference held at St Benedict's on 11 July 2006.
“The pack was so well received that it has now become a national resource,” said Alan Whelan, Principal of St Benedict's and a Director of Essex Education Business Partnership. “I recommend this pack to headteachers across the country as a first class teaching resource especially in the geography and business studies areas of the curriculum.
“It is a testimony to partnership working, and we are grateful to the Royal Town Planning Institute East of England for first suggesting the idea, as well as the Construction Industry Training Board, East of England Regional Assembly, Colchester Borough Council, Essex County Council and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors East of England.”
Councillor Brian Jarvis, Colchester Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Renaissance, said: “The regeneration of East Colchester is a really exciting project, and it’s great that young people throughout the region and further afield will be finding out more about some of the work planned for the area. I would urge teachers to share the pack with their classes when they return to school after the summer break.”
For further information please contact:
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Hilary Sellens, Essex Education Business Partnership on +44 (0) 1245 463807.
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Jonathan Rochford, Project Officer, North SEAfaring, East Colchester Regeneration Office, Colchester Borough Council, Hythe Quay, Colchester CO2 8JB, +44 (0) 1206 863513, jonathan.rochford@colchester.gov.uk
Improvements begin at King Edward Quay – May 2006
Improvements to King Edward Quay in East Colchester began with a ground breaking ceremony.
East Colchester is one of Colchester's four regeneration areas, and it is hoped the improvements at King Edward Quay will act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the adjacent land between the quay and Haven Road. The improvements will create a public open space that will provide a recreational and meeting space for local people.
Funding for the improvements has come from Colchester Borough Council and B-Sure (an Interreg IIIb North West Europe programme).
The project also provided Colchester Borough Council and Essex County Council with the opportunity to strengthen their partnership working, with B-sure providing the framework for a number of joint initiatives.
In the case of King Edward Quay, Essex County Council's Urban Design Team and Essex Highways Service worked closely with Colchester Borough Council to deliver the project.
As part of the work there was a clean up of the quayside which included removing illegal caravans, clearing sunk vessels, and creating a licensing system for local boat owners.
Councillor Brian Jarvis, Colchester Borough Council's Portfolio Holder for Renaissance, carried out the ground breaking ceremony.
Councillor Jarvis said: "The work at King Edward Quay signals the next step in the regeneration of East Colchester. We hope that these improvements will act as a catalyst for further regeneration in the area, particularly around the quayside itself, and look forward to making this a vibrant area of open space which will be of great benefit to the local community."
Councillor Jeremy Lucas, Essex County Council's deputy portfolio holder for Planning, Environment and Culture, said: "There is a lot of good work being carried out in and around the Hythe area of Colchester. It is very exciting to see this next step towards the regeneration of the area. I know that what will be built here will bring a new lease of life to this area of the town."
For more information please contact Peter Alder, East Colchester Project Manager on +44 (0) 1206 863987
New office helps push forward with East Colchester regeneration - November 2005
An office dedicated to moving forward regeneration in East Colchester is set to officially open next week.
The East Colchester Regeneration Office at the Hythe has been set up to stimulate and guide the redevelopment of East Colchester as a sustainable community.Colchester’s Mayor Cllr Terry Sutton will officially open the office at 12noon on 2 December.
Guests will then have the chance to take part in one of two tours of the East Colchester area. One will be led by planning officers Richard Button and Lee Smith-Evans, this will explore the University Quay area and look at the pros and cons of the development so far.
The second, led by Peter Alder, East Colchester Project Manager, and Jonathan Rochford, North Programme Project Officer, will look at King Edward Quay and will offer a brief explanation of the proposed heritage art trail.
After the tours guests will be welcomed back to the office where they will have the chance to find out more about the officers based at the site.
The office has been opened by Colchester Borough Council in partnership with Essex County Council as part of the Colchester Renaissance Partnership.
Cllr. Robert Davidson, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Partnerships, said: “We are keen to keep the regeneration agenda moving in East Colchester and the office will bring together a number of officers from different areas that will be carrying out this work. It will also give residents, businesses and developers a place to drop in and find out more about the plans for the future.”
From 2 December, planning officers from the regeneration team will be holding regular planning surgeries at the East Colchester Regeneration office. The aim is to establish an ongoing dialogue with residents, developers and the business community in the Hythe while the regeneration takes place.
Copies of both current and approved plans will be available for inspection and there will be an opportunity to discuss regeneration proposals and objectives for the wider area. Other documents such as design guides and development briefs will also be available to view.
A key aim of the surgery is to provide better feedback on completed schemes and allow for greater community involvement in the regeneration of the Hythe.
The surgeries will take place on the first Friday of each month. Dates already scheduled are 02/12/05, 06/01/06, 03/02/06, 03/03/06, 07/04/06, 05/05/06 and 02/06/06 The Council is hopeful that members of the public, developers and other interested parties will use this opportunity to make their views known and to contribute to the long term regeneration objectives are for The Hythe area.
East Colchester Regeneration Office - Now Open - November 2005
We are pleased to invite you to the official opening of the East Colchester Regeneration Office on the 2nd December 2005 at 12pm. The office is the focal point of our work to stimulate and guide the redevelopment of East Colchester as a sustainable community, housing the East Colchester Project Manager, East Colchester Projects Officer, various project staff and CONEC (Community Outreach for North & East Colchester), community development project.
From 2nd December, the office will be open once a month from 10am - 4pm for planning enquiries, enabling local residents and businesses to view current planning applications and meet planning staff from the Council.
Dates already scheduled are: 2 December 2005, 6 January 2006, 3 February 2006, 3 March 2006, 7 April 2006, 5 May 2006, 2 June 2006
For further information please contact Lexie Tuthill,
Telephone: 01206 863 485
E-Mail: alexandra.tuthill@colchester.gov.uk
Masterplan Funding Secured for East Colchester - May, 2005 An important step forward in the regeneration of East Colchester was announced on Monday 25 July as the Colchester Renaissance Partnership gained funding from the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) to kickstart the next phase of development in East Colchester.
The partnership’s bid for funding includes a study to take stock of what has been achieved in East Colchester so far and the development of a masterplan to guide work in the coming years.
The project will involve local people and landowners in developing a detailed vision for the river corridor and former port area in particular. It will also include an implementation plan for the Haven Road area.
The masterplan will identify the infrastructure necessary for the community of East Colchester to thrive in the future including transport, health, education and community facilities.
EEDA has confirmed that they will contribute £65,000 of the total cost of £113,000, the balance being funded by local landowners, Colchester Borough Council and Essex County Council.
Cllr Robert Davidson, Colchester Borough Council’s portfolio holder for regeneration and partnerships, said: “I welcome this EEDA funding for East Colchester. A lot has already been achieved by working together with local people, businesses and other agencies but we now face a number of challenges to move forward with this important regeneration project. This masterplan work will go a long way to unlocking further potential in the area provided we focus on delivering real progress on the ground for local people.”
Richard Ellis, of the East of England Development Agency, said: “EEDA is delighted to be supporting this further work to enable the renaissance and regeneration of East Colchester. This project is particularly important to EEDA as it will provide a link between the town’s university, businesses and high quality work places. EEDA is also an interested landowner and is committed to the creation of high quality sustainable development in East Colchester.” |
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