TODAY marks a historic day for sport in Colchester.

The Northern Gateway Sports Park, just off the A12 at junction 28, is set to open its gates to its first residents.

The £29 million facility has been almost a decade in the making.

Construction firm R G Carter has faced inevitable delays due to Covid, but the sports park is now ready to reopen.

Due to coronavirus its opening will be slightly more muted than originally planned, with restrictions on visitor numbers, but Monday is still a momentous day for the borough.

Here is what we know about the new facility:

What is on offer at Northern Gateway Sports Park?

Treat - Theresa Higgins with Chloe from Paddy & Scott’s

Treat - Theresa Higgins with Chloe from Paddy & Scott’s

The development offers a wide range of sporting facilities and is designed to be a regional centre of excellence for sport.

Facilities are set across 76 acres of open space including family areas, cycle and walking links and outdoor play areas.

There is a state-of-the-art fitness suite featuring a velo studio, exercise space and meeting rooms.

Outside there are a number of sports pitches including space for rugby union, rugby league and football.

There are both artificial 3G pitches as well as grass fields and an archery range.

A one-mile closed road cycling track features and there is a learn to ride pump track for beginners too.

Bike hire is available and there are floodlights for nighttime usage.

Inside the building there is a five court badminton sports hall, space for indoor cricket, futsal, netball and table tennis.

A new clubhouse has also been created for Colchester Rugby Club, which is moving from its Mill Road home, as well a clubhouse for Colchester and District Archery Club.

More than 500 trees and almost 120,000 hedgerow plants have been planted at the site, whilst improvements to the roads, including junction 28 of the A12, have also been implemented.

There is also a cafe at the sports park, which will be run by Paddy & Scott's.

It will begin to welcome customers for takeaway first of all, from Monday.

This is the first cafe Paddy & Scott's, which is based in Suffolk, has opened in Colchester.

The brand puts its profits back into its Kenyan Farm Project which is formed of coffee enthusiasts, each owning a tree on the estate.

How will the sports park be operated?

Knock-out - Theresa Higgins and Mark Cory

Knock-out - Theresa Higgins and Mark Cory

Facilities at Northern Gateway Sports Park will be run by Colchester Council via Leisure World.

For the moment at least, all activities need to be booked in advance online.

Colchester Council funded the £28.8 million development which has been supported by significant funding from British Cycling, Sport England and England and Wales Cricket Club.

What have the council said about the development?

Steady - council leader Mark Cory on his bike

Steady - council leader Mark Cory on his bike

Back when construction works were completed on the sports park, leader of Colchester Council Mark Cory said: “The completion of this inspiring facility marks a huge milestone towards our vision to give all of our residents new and wide-ranging opportunities to play sport, be healthy and enjoy our outdoor spaces.

“Importantly for me, the sports park will be accessible for all, offering activities for all abilities and those with disabilities.

“My thanks to R G Carter for their expertise and commitment to deliver this project in what has been a challenging year.

“The result is an exceptional sports park that will enable people both locally and from across the wider region to get involved, get active and make the most of the remarkable facilities Colchester can offer.

“When things return to normal after Covid, this will be a facility Colchester can be proud of.”

What happens next?

The Northern Gateway Sports Park is the first part of the wider Northern Gateway development to be completed.

These developments will bring sports and leisure facilities, as well as hundreds of new homes and healthcare provision, to Highwoods, making it set to become the fastest growing part of Colchester in the coming years.

They represent more than £100 million investment in the town.

The whole development will be powered by a first-of-its-kind low carbon network using energy from the ground to power and heat buildings, whilst new superfast broadband infrastructure is being installed to serve the developments as well as Highwoods itself.

Read more:

Here is what we know about the developments:

Northern Gateway Leisure Park

Plans are also moving ahead at pace for a new £50 million leisure complex to be built just down the road, near Colchester United's Jobserve Community Stadium.

It will feature a Travelodge Hotel Cineworld cinema, a bowling alley, mini-golf facility and climbing centre.

Several restaurants also form part of the plans.

Plans have been in development since 2015, with Brexit and changes to the leisure market causing delays, however the latest iteration of the proposals were approved by Colchester Council's planning committee late last year.

Northern Gateway South

Ipswich-based firm Breheny have been awarded the contact to start work on the Colchester Northern Gateway-South project by Colchester Amphora Trading - Colchester Council’s commercial arm.

The masterplan for the 24-hectare site, which is south of junction 28 of the A12, will see the construction of up to 350 new homes with 30 per cent set to be affordable, a healthcare campus with 300 units and a private acute surgical hospital.

There will also be a 75-bed care home, and space for shops and restaurants. Business units are also being created.

Find out more at colchesterleisureworld.co.uk/northerngatewaysportspark.

  • Mr Cory is standing for election to Essex County Council in the Wivenhoe St Andrews Ward.
  • The other candidates are Asa Aldis (Green), Kevin Blair (Reform UK), Jodie Clark (Con) and Julie Young (Lab)