Colchester council boss says city has so much to offer

David King, leader of Colchester Council, recently reflected on what the future might hold for the former market town after it was awarded city status last year.

The Liberal Democrat, who has been a councillor since 2018, hopes Colchester’s newfound title will attract more businesses and brands to the area.

He also believes the “badge of honour” of becoming a city will give greater status to institutions in the area and make bidding for funding a more rewarding process.

In addition to being excited about what is to come, Mr King is equally as positive about the already blossoming projects within urban Colchester.

Mr King, who is working with Essex County Council to improve pavements and roads, says Colchester is also now becoming much more than just the High Street.

“What we now have is an ancient and modern cultural and heritage centre with lots of great shopping and places to stay and eat and drink,” he added.

READ MORE: Colchester's city status attracts businesses in ways towns cannot, says council boss

“That is what people think of as the centre of Colchester. But Colchester is also rural and coastal and in terms of urban we have Stanway, Tollgate and Stane Park.

“We also have a leisure park coming which is just months from completion in Northern Gateway with fantastic sports provision.

“So, we have all of these difference points of reference but we now need a new narrative to stich all this together and to think a bit more broadly [about Colchester].

Mr King also said he wants to see more and more students who move to Colchester to study at the University of Essex building their lives in the city after graduating.

He said: "We have 15,000 students at the university which recognises and encourages people to see wider Colchester as their home.

"As the university grows we want people who come here to study to stay here, to work here, to set up their businesses, to marry here and to bring their families here.”