One of the biggest brouhaha's over the last year or so in Colchester has been the new Firstsite: Newsite, (aka. "Visual Arts Facility") intended as a massive extension to Colchester's existing art gallery, with many other potential facilities including conference rooms, screening rooms, galleries, new concourse and general pleasant ambiance.
To cut a very lengthy story short, the VAF was quickly proposed and pushed through by the Conservative-run local council in 2006. Almost overnight, the bus station was partly demolished to make way for the new building, which didn't endear it too much to the majority of the townspeople whose taxes are paying for it.
Now the original proposal to have the spanking new arts facility open by summer 2008 is gathering dust, the original budget has been spent, the builders have pulled out (with only the exterior finished), and has now fallen into the laps of the Liberal Democrat councillors to deal with.
By a complete coincidence (or is it?), the completion of Colchester United's new football stadium has overtaken the VAF, miles out of town, but with partial council (and private) funding. I personally suspect that, overlooking all the shenanigans with the builders, the VAF would probably have been up and running, if the fortunes of Colchester United had not improved in 2006.
As it stands, rotting away at the moment, the VAF is Colchester's Dome - and that remember, was a scheme which was only saved by Government money back in 2000.
1 comment:
Stumbled across your blog - well done. You mention that it was pushed through by the Conservatiove led Council. It was actually a lib dem idea from Ken Jones when there was a lib dem/Conservative joint administration. Just hope it now gets sorted out.
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