FIVE key sites in Colchester town centre will be prioritised for regeneration as part of Colchester’s bid to secure up to £25 million in Government funding.

The We Are Colchester partnership, which was set up in January, has submitted its final Town Deal bid, with a decision likely to be made by February.

If the cash is secured, the group hopes it will unlock upwards of £90 million total investment in the town.

A range of schemes to improve the town centre are planned and the partnership hopes to secure a total of £6.6 million funding to invest in public realm improvements.

Five key areas in the town will be prioritised - Vineyard Gateway, the old Essex County Hospital Site, Balkerne Gate, Holy Trinity Square and St Nicholas Square.

Cash will also be invested in reviving historic buildings, including £1 million for the first phases of restoring Jumbo and £517,000 to bring grade-I listed Holy Trinity Church back into use.

The partnership has already secured £1 million of the bid to start revamps of Balkerne Gate and St Nicholas Square, however another £1.1 million is needed to complete the Balkerne Gate project.

At Vineyard Gate, the group is asking for £1 million from the Government, which will in turn unlock a further £14 million investment.

The exact nature of the project is unclear, however proposals for the area have been in the pipeline for more than a decade.

The bid also includes requests for funding of £500,000 for Holy Trinity Square, near the historic church, £500,000 for the old hospital site and £1.5 million to create “kerbless green streets” for pedestrianised areas in the town centre.

David King, Colchester Council’s business boss, said: “If successful, this further £25 million bid will enable big improvements to be made across the whole town.

“Residents want the town to be made more attractive and for improvements to be made to infrastructure. The projects We Are Colchester have submitted to the Government address these issues.

“With the help of other investors, we can make a huge difference to residents and help businesses and those they employ at this difficult time to have confidence in Colchester’s future, as a great place to live, work and visit.”

View the bid at https://bit.ly/3jMSK7C.