CENTURION CENTURIONYOUR NEWSPAPER FROM COLCHESTER BOROUGH COUNCIL | NOVEMBER 2020 A Turner on display at the Castle For the first time in its history, sketches painted in the open air - a Fund and a private donor, the painting Colchester Castle is currently home practice which was to be become a was successfully saved for the East to an English masterpiece. significant element to his work, and of England. JMW Turner’s classic painting one making this painting so significant. For more information on how ‘Walton Bridges’ is on display at the The nationally important piece of art Colchester + Ipswich Museums was in danger of leaving the country, Castle until 28 March 2021, thanks were involved in a bid to help save following its sale to a foreign buyer. this masterpiece visit the Colchester to a generous contribution towards However, a bid in July 2019 involving Museums website. exhibiting costs from Friends of Colchester + Ipswich Museums and To pre-book tickets to see this Colchester Museums. the Norfolk Museum Service helped historic picture call 01206 282939. Painted near Turner’s home on the save it for the nation. Entry includes full access to Colchester River Thames, it is the first oil painting With the help of major grants from Castle Museum and Turner At by Turner to have been based on oil the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art The Castle. Prestigious double Response to Covid-19: national award wins for council Council and its partners is Colchester Borough Council has received two top national awards for its work with its commercial trading doing the borough proud company Colchester Commercial Holdings Ltd (CCHL). Colchester Borough Council’s The council was named ‘Best leaders have praised the efforts of Commercial Council’ in the the council’s staff and partners for Municipal Journal (MJ) Achievement ensuring residents and businesses were Awards and ‘Entrepreneurial supported through the first national Council’ at the Local Government Covid-19 lockdown. Chronicle awards. Both these annual Throughout the national lockdown, awards mark the very best in local council staff and members ensured government. the response to the needs of our The awards recognise the council’s communities and businesses was agile vision in setting up CCHL and and effective. We worked with a range its three subsidiary companies - of organisations and continue to play a Colchester Amphora Energy Ltd; full part in the effort to stop the virus Colchester Amphora Homes Ltd spreading and help those in need. through the One Colchester “The work we and our partners have and Colchester Amphora Trading This included supporting those partnership. undertaken has been very important Ltd – and their ongoing work and shielding and delivering food and Our fast and co-ordinated approach to our residents, communities and success. CCHL’s achievements other essentials to thousands of to Covid-19, was among those businesses. include a £95 million borough- residents. highlighted by the District Council’s “Lots of effort has gone into the wide housebuilding programme We became one of the first councils Network as an example of good support we have and are continuing combining private housing with to help those struggling to pay their practice. You can find out more about to provide, in particular to ensure it is 30% council-owned homes bills through providing financial our work with partners on page 8. being taken forward in a sustainable for affordable rent, the 76-acre advice, support and grants. We swiftly These efforts have provided a solid and proactive way as we continue Colchester Northern Gateway distributed over £33.6 millions of foundation for working with a range to balance the restrictions and ever- Sports Park, and providing ultrafast Government and council discretionary of partners to ensure businesses and changing risks to our communities.” gigabyte broadband to new homes grants and supplemented this with residents are aware of the current Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr and businesses. advice to businesses and help to those lockdown restrictions – and the efforts Julie Young, said: “While this has been The judges at the MJ awards in need. to prevent the spread of coronavirus a situation no one would have wanted also recognised our employee The formation of a Community in the borough. it has been a tremendous example of Cezara Cosma in the ‘Rising Response Team, working with Leader of the Council, Cllr Mark how we can do things differently in Star’ category, with a ‘Highly Community 360 to give dedicated Cory said: “I am proud of our work response to a crisis. Commended’ for her ambition to support and advice, has been very and the achievements of our hard- “We are lucky to have so many make a difference to people’s lives successful, as has the ongoing work working council staff through the great assets in the borough and our and determination to best support with police, health, education, the coronavirus lockdown and as we come partnership working has never been the communities business community and others out the other side. better. It is a testament to all involved.” she serves. @enjoycolchester INSIDE THIS ISSUE... @yourcolchester Page 2 Council’s budget challenge Page 3 Town deal update colchester.gov.uk Page 5 CAReless campaign Page 7 Help keep Colchester litter free The publication is produced by Colchester Borough Council. To contact us please email [email protected]. Page 1 NOVEMBER 2020 CENTURION WASH HANDS Delivering a Better Colchester Help play your part in tackling Colchester Borough Council’s Budget Challenge Residents are being asked to help Colchester Borough Council understand what matters most to COLCHESTER BOROUGH COUNCIL HAS them as part of a survey launched as the council works to close the budget £10 MILLION LESS THAN LAST YEAR gap it is facing. The online survey, launched on Monday 9 November, is designed to help us understand where residents think money should be spent and saved, ahead of councillors agreeing the budget next January for 2021/2022. We are currently facing a gap of around £2 million this year – around 10% of our net budget - and £3.5 million next year which is around 17% of our net budget. This is due to lost revenue from SOME OF OUR KEY SOURCES OF INCOME AT CBC ARE… services such as leisure centres, museums and car parks, as a result of the first national lockdown and the Government’s failure to fulfill its promise of ensuring councils were fully supported against the loss of any income. WEDDINGS VIC COMMERCIAL EVENTS CAR PARKS LEISURE WORLD MUSEUMS Through changes to the way councils & AQUA SPRINGS have been funded over recent years, we RENTS have lost around £11 million in funding from the Government. The Covid-19 lockdown meant much of this income So this year The Government has encouraged stopped completely, and our costs have increased (2020/21) we councils to become more commercially expect to have focused, leading us to set up Colchester over £10m less Commercial Holdings Ltd. Through than we were the companies under (CCHL) we expecting, to pay for essential make money from a range of activities services… including events, that help pay for essential services. Throughout the first lockdown, we worked with partners to support The Government And an estimated vulnerable members of our community budget gap of £3.5m and businesses. However, the lockdown has since provided £2m for 2021/22 measures meant many of the ways we in additional generate income were halted. funding to the While we have received some Council and we Government support it has not covered are claiming However this still the money we have lost and a full around £1m means that we have review of everything we deliver has for furloughed over £1.5m in losses been undertaken. Our initial plans to staff… to recover this year… close this gap include smarter ways of working, raising income where possible and reducing costs - including job losses where these cannot be avoided. We will To address this we are working on We will continue to use reserves to help ease the funding a budget strategy, including lobby the Government gap we’re facing this year – but once . reviewing our strategic PRIORITIES to secure a better these are used, they can’t be used again. financial settlement . maximising COMMERICAL for 2021/22 We will continue to lobby the potential Government to ensure they make good on their promise – but if they don’t, . driving EFFICIENCY in the way we work Difficult decisions may need difficult decisions will need to be made. to be made to balance the As part of the survey residents are . looking at our SERVICE PROVISION budget also asked how well informed they feel . exploring COMMUNITY about the council’s budget challenge relationships and to rank the council’s services in importance to them. The survey, which will run until WE’LL MAKE SURE WE KEEP YOU UPDATED ON THIS JOURNEY Friday 4 December, can be found on EVERY STEP OF THE WAY our website. Page 2 NOVEMBER 2020 CENTURION Delivering a Better Colchester #BETTERCOLCHESTER we better connect the borough’s digital and transport infrastructure, grow the borough’s economy in an inclusive New parklets way, and make Colchester an even better place to live. Projects that have scheme to make been included in the bid are: High Street · the creation of digital work hubs · transforming facilities for young greener for all people A new project is seeking to make · a digital skills hub at the Wilson the High Street an even more Marriage Centre vibrant place by converting some · public realm improvements in the loading bays into open and green town centre areas for shoppers and visitors to sit and relax.