Colchester is one of England’s most overlooked historic county towns. It retains its Roman grid, with a castle, town walls and street after street of handsome buildings. This report by SAVE Britain’s Heritage aims to highlight the wealth of Colchester’s built heritage, show the good work that has been done in conserving and augmenting these assets, and put forward ideas for the future - from the small scale to the highly ambitious.
Colchester, Back to the Future argues that the town must capitalise on its history and heritage rather than bend to the concrete will of those who mistakenly believe that economic development and physical development are one and the same. Only though conserving, and where possible, carefully adding to the town, can Colchester retain and strengthen its real identity. This will require patient discussion and negotiation, putting aside politics and working to a long-term plan. If Colchester can meet this challenge, it could be the envy of Britain.
