Colchester Albert Roundabout facelift cost more than £90k

The city’s High Steward Sir Bob Russell has revealed through a freedom of information request to Colchester Council that the work at the Albert Roundabout, in North Station Road, cost £93,334.

The FOI further revealed that Beth Chatto Gardens was paid £40,600 to carry out the work.

The project was funded by Essex County Council, Colchester Council, and Greater Anglia to improve first impressions for visitors who arrive in the city by train.

For the revamp, the greenery and soil were removed from the centre of the roundabout, and Beth Chatto Gardens, in Elmstead Market, carried out the landscaping.

Before - Albert Roundabout in 2022 (Image: Google Maps)

The roundabout’s topsoil was replaced with sand to prevent weeds from growing, with the team statistically placing certain plants which will need minimal maintenance and keep costs down.

He said: “To my mind the destruction of the appearance of the roundabout, with the removal of all the shrubs and grass and all the soil, and its replacement with tons of sand is a grotesque waste of taxpayers’ money.

“Previously the roundabout was full of greenery, but now we have a desert island in which there are plants which do not appear to be native species.”

Displeased - Sir Bob Russell (Image: Public) "North Station Road is supposed to be a Conservation Area, but the desert island is a visual outrage completely at odds with the historic nature of this part of Colchester.

"My enquiries confirm that turning an attractive green roundabout into the embarrassment of a desert island was not a decision taken by councillors but by officers who are not democratically accountable to residents who were not consulted."

The Albert roundabout project is part of the “fixing the link” campaign which has seen different changes to help improve the one-mile journey from Colchester station to the city centre.

Sir Bob says the budget for “fixing the link” is in the region of £400,000, with £100,000 “yet to be squandered”.

He said: “The idea, a joke really, is to link Colchester North Station with the City Centre with daft things such as hanging yellow banners from lamp-posts as if people cannot walk in a straight line along a route first built by the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago.

"We are already on the second lot of banners because the first lot faded and deteriorated.”

Castle ward councillor Richard Kirkby-Taylor argued the roundabout will look great once the plants grow.

Castle ward - Councillor Richard Kirkby-Taylor (Image: Newsquest) He said: “Beth Chatto Gardens are an extremely interesting enterprise, they’ve done a lot of really interesting research into making sure that water scarcity is dealt with.

“They are doing the kind of imperial research which we will need more and more of as climate change turns this area even drier.

“This kind of incentive, I accept it is not everyone’s cup of tea, I was kind of shocked when I first saw the roundabout myself.

“But it will grow and will become what I expect quite lush and these things are always outrageous when first done.

“And yes, it looks out of place at the moment but once it is bedded in I think it will look quite good.

“But I want to emphasise we do have a changing climate, environment, and we need to look at new ways we make the place beautiful and maintain biodiversity without wasting water.”

'Project to enhance gate away to city'

A spokesman for Essex County Council and Colchester Council said: “We appreciate Sir Bob taking the time to share his thoughts on the Albert Roundabout. While we understand that aesthetics are subjective and opinions may vary, the project is part of a wider initiative to enhance the gateway to Colchester city centre and improve the overall visitor experience.

“The project, which has been in development for eight years, involved input from Cabinet members and councillors. The Albert Roundabout is one of 14 elements within the ‘Fixing the Link’ scheme, all designed to welcome visitors arriving by rail.

“The flags are designed to last approximately five years, and replacement is scheduled accordingly.

“We engaged the world-renowned Beth Chatto Gardens to design the planting scheme. Their expertise ensured the selection of plants suitable for our increasingly dry climate, reducing the need for excessive watering and maintenance. The ‘brick circles’ are intended to provide habitats for wildlife, which in turn will help pollinate the plants.

“The funding for this project is a partnership between Colchester Council, Essex County Council, and Greater Anglia. The final stage of the project, including the installation of an information board (subject to planning permission), will allocate the remaining funds.

“We look forward to seeing the roundabout in its full glory once the plants are established. The ongoing maintenance of the roundabout is also funded as part of this project.”