Thursday 13th April, 2023
Colchester City Council’s Cabinet discussed the progress of the Town Deal project on Wednesday evening. This is a government initiative aimed at supporting economic growth and regeneration in towns across the UK.
The meeting focused issues related to the project, including concerns about the time scale and non-monetary benefits.
Conservative Councillor and Chair of Scrutiny, Dennis Willetts, expressed his concerns that the projects were being given to outside bodies rather than being managed by the Council itself.
Cllr Willetts noted that the Council is the elected body, and it should be more involved in the management of these projects.
He also questioned whether all of the projects could be completed by the 2026 deadline, and whether the non-monetary benefits would be achieved:
“Our main concern is the time scale. Can all the projects be delivered by 2026? There are difficulties with land deals for some of these projects to move forwards. Officers tell us that all these issues are manageable.
But are these functions that the Council should be deciding? There is a worry that we are giving these projects to a separate body.”
Labour Cllr Pam Cox expressed her view that the gaps in living standards are only going in one direction, and it will take more than Town Deal funding to address these issues. She argued that a change of government is needed to tackle these problems.
Labour Cllr Julie Young highlighted negotiations were still ongoing for the Heart of Greenstead project, but progress was being made.
The project’s goal is to bring better healthcare, food provision, and employment prospects to the area. Cllr Young noted that there has been a lot of emphasis placed on involving the community:
“We do need to tackle deprivation. Inequality has been the driving force in my political life. People need more money in their pockets. It’s as simple as that. It’s all about government policy. My residents in Greenstead are poorer today than they were in 2010.”
Cllr Willetts questioned whether the targets of tackling inequality were tough challenges to deliver on:
“In projects like this, will we be able to measure a reduction in deprivation? Or is the project plastering over deprivation and making it more tolerable to live in the area?”
The Councillors also emphasised that the council needs to do a better job of explaining the benefits of the Town Deal to the wider community.
Cllr Julie Young noted that the first thing the community will see is the community hub, which will bring better healthcare, food provision, and employment prospects to the area.
However, the Councillors agreed that the council needs to tell the story better and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the overall package.
Council Leader, Liberal Democrat Cllr David King, acknowledged that there is a long journey ahead, but the Council is investing time and effort into communication, and they are working to connect the different pieces of work into the masterplan:
“There is a wider point about how the city is seen. You will see better communications and a connection to the different pieces of work and how they’ll fit into the masterplan. We get the need to be transparent.”
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