The opportunity

The Local Authority of Britain’s oldest recorded town required a masterplan to promote commercial, cultural and residential growth of the town centre whilst being sensitive to its history.

Our contribution

We won the commission through competition and then led a group of property agents and stakeholder consultation experts in developing the designs. Our proposals reconnect the existing, fragmented fabric of the town centre with major new mixeduse development. We have helped negotiate land swaps between the public and private sectors to put the right development in the right part of the town centre. We have responded to input from a wide range of stakeholders, including the general public, local businesses, English Heritage and CABE.

The outcome

The integrated masterplan – a product of public and private sector groups acting with a shared vision – was adopted into planning policy. Firstsite, the cultural centrepiece of the masterplan, opened in September 2012.

“At first I questioned the amount of money as it was about twice as high as some of the others. But we realised Space Syntax were light years ahead of everybody else. This scheme will last for 200 years. We needed the best and the best is what we’ve got.”

Councillor John Jowers
Colchester Borough Council

Further information

Space Syntax Studio page
Details of our work leading the planning & design of buildings & urban areas.