30 December, 2006
"The redevelopment of our garrison is the largest public/private initiative in Britain. Soon 3,000 new dwellings will house 9,000 people overlooking the Abbey Field, forming the Abbey Field urban Village... The challenge to get it right is huge..." This is Colchester historian Andrew Phillips writing in yesterday's edition of the Essex County Standard. His article, which includes the story of the Victorian cavalry barracks, together with some interesting photos, argues that current attention on the St Botolph's Quarter redevelopment could easily obscure what's happening on Abbey Fields from public gaze. Go to the Garrison section of the Renaissance of Colchester website for an outline of the plan. For location of Abbey Fields, see map, waymark 19. See MS Virtual Earth shot of site here (best in Explorer or Firefox).
29 December, 2006
Paxman site application for 393 homes
Jubilee Homes of Brentwood have filed an outline application to build 393 dwellings on the Paxman site (bounded by Port Lane to the west and St Leonard's Terrace to the north). The developer's proposals (now viewable on the council's planning website – see link right) reveal a formal layout, similar to New Town's terraces, but with a mixture of houses and apartment blocks. A public open space (a linear park) is proposed at the end of Parson's Lane, on the eastern perimeter of the site. It's difficult to judge at this stage whether the building style proposed is the usual periody-pastiche fake mash-up. Could we get something genuinely contemporary and authentic? After all, this is an industrial site and we do live in the 21st century. For location, see map, waypoint 3. See MS Virtual Earth shot of site here (best in Explorer or Firefox). See also Evening Gazette story.
22 December, 2006
Brook Street to get 110 new dwellings
According to the council's planning website, Mersea Homes have permission to build 110 new units on derelict/undeveloped land to the rear of Brook Street and Barrack Street (roughly, the pink area in the sketch map above). As mentioned in a previous post, this is a unique site, with attractive, elevated views over the river and the associated green and wooded areas. Predictably, the scheme will involve sardine-style densities, with building appearances similar to those at Balkerne Heights. Apparently, the far north-east part of the site will be open space, and will link with the footpath/cylcepath alongside the river. A new public footway between Brook Street and the river (if that's what we're getting) will be a very good thing. Residents and users of Brook Street may be less pleased, however, when they learn that this already highly congested road will get all the new estate's traffic. For location in Colchester, see map, waypoint 1. See MS Virtual Earth shot of site here (best in Explorer or Firefox).