'Go back to the drawing board on St Bot's roundabout plans'

Essex County Council plans to revamp St Botolph’s Circus in a bid to cut congestion.

The proposals will see the removal of the underpass, the simplification of junctions and new landscaping installed at a total cost of £3.5million.

Plans for the area have been under consideration since 2017 and campaigners were hoping to see a pedestrian plaza in the centre of the roundabout, however, these plans were not taken forward.

• The pedestrian plaza plans

Essex County Council has said a pedestrian plaza was never part of its plans.

Colchester Council has responded to the consultation saying County Hall has not addressed aspects it had agreed to look at two years ago.

In 2017, officers at the two councils drew up a set of objectives for the St Botolph’s Circus area.

This included creating a gateway to the town centre, improving air quality and traffic flow, supporting regeneration and reducing anti-social behaviour.

READ MORE: £3.5m plan for St Botolph's Circus in Colchester is revealed

But Colchester Council said: “It does not provide a large attractive public plaza or facilitate complimentary frontage development needed to mend, environmentally transform and self-police this key town centre gateway, promote the town centre, and in turn act as a catalyst for wider regeneration and investment.

“The council considers that the proposals should be revisited in the context of the objectives agreed in 2017, and should address concerns relating to accessibility, walking and cycle access, and place making in the area.”

• The St Botolph's plans which are being consulted on

If the plans go ahead, work could start in the spring or summer of 2020, with construction set to take just over a year to complete.

County Hall says the project, as it stands, will increase traffic capacity over the short to medium term, however, it admitted a long-term solution for the roundabout could be needed further down the line.

READ MORE: Residents air views over St Bots plans

Kevin Bentley, County Hall’s infrastructure chief, said: “We know people are passionate about the proposed improvements to St Botolph’s Circus.

“I am keen to further increase the cycle provision in the area and will be talking to engineers about this.

“It is important to remember that no decisions about the planned improvements have been made to date. The purpose of the consultation is to find out what people think of our proposals and we are grateful to everyone who responds.

“We need to take time to consider these fully before making any decisions.”

All of the works will be funded through infrastructure payments following the development at Colchester Garrison.