Colchester seeks views on £20m–£25m Painters Yard bus interchange without secured funding

Colchester City Council and Essex County Council are seeking views on two early designs for a bus interchange at Painters Yard in Colchester city centre, after announcing the consultation on 29 September 2026. The proposal would return buses to part of the former bus station site, but its design is unsettled and funding has yet to be secured.

For people who use the current Osborne Street stops, the consultation is a chance to comment on the location, layout and passenger facilities. It does not announce a change to existing bus services. The councils estimate that building an interchange at Painters Yard would cost £20 million to £25 million, according to Essex Highways.

What the two Painters Yard layouts would change

The concepts make different use of the space beside Curzon Cinema and behind Firstsite. Essex Highways says the first puts stops along the northern and southern edges, leaving more room for landscaping, public space and community use. The second groups passengers and facilities in one central area, which the highways service describes as a simpler arrangement for passengers. Neither is a final design.

The Colchester Post’s account of the councils’ consultation guide adds a practical distinction: the first concept has two waiting areas and no listed bus-capacity shortfall, while the second has one waiting area and slightly lower overall bus capacity. Residents weighing the options are therefore being asked about more than the appearance of the site. The amount of public space, where passengers wait and how much bus capacity is provided differ between the concepts.

Why the councils want buses back at Painters Yard

Painters Yard was part of Colchester’s former bus station and depot, which closed in 2013, according to the Post. Buses now use Osborne Street as the main city-centre stopping area. Essex Highways says that site has six stops and is operating beyond its intended capacity. It says operators and passengers have raised concerns about accessibility and passenger facilities there.

The scale of the councils’ forecast explains why they are considering a larger site. Essex Highways says up to 25 bus stops and five layover bays may be needed to meet future demand. Without a change, it estimates that Osborne Street could be handling around four times its designed usage within 15 years. Those figures describe projected demand, rather than a settled service plan or a guarantee that every forecast stop will be built.

The Post reports that a 2024 study for the councils underpins the future-demand estimate. Its account of the consultation guide says Osborne Street is already operating at more than twice its designed capacity. It also says six city-centre locations were examined before Painters Yard emerged as the most cost-effective and deliverable option. The council’s announcement says the site provides room for future demand and works operationally for buses.

The scheme is being developed by Team Colchester, the partnership between Essex County Council and Colchester City Council. City council leader Paul Dundas said delivering a new bus station had been one motivation for setting up the partnership in 2022. County council cabinet member Jeff Bray said the proposals would be refined and a business case developed for funding after this stage.

How to comment and what must happen before building

Essex Highways’ scheme page says the consultation runs until Sunday 8 November. The Post also reports that the online survey closes that day and lists public drop-ins from 2pm to 8pm on 14 October at the Digital Hub, 43 Queen Street, and on 21 October at St Botolph’s Church. The scheme page directs residents to the consultation guide and survey, and invites views on the need for an interchange, the preferred site, layouts, facilities and public spaces.

There is a date discrepancy for anyone planning to respond near the deadline. The Post says the consultation guide gives 9 November, while the survey and scheme pages give 8 November. The council announcement says the consultation launched on 28 September; Essex Highways gives 29 September as its opening date. The scheme page’s 8 November closing date is the one stated by Essex Highways, but the conflicting guide date should be resolved with the authority.

The councils’ published sequence moves from consultation to confirming a site and refining a design, then securing funding, preparing a planning application, selecting a contractor and starting construction. The Post reports a process of roughly three to five years, subject to funding. That is a proposed path, not an opening date. The final design, planning approval and construction start are still undecided.

Current Osborne Street arrangements remain in place during this process. The Post says the material it reviewed does not specify how bus routes would change if the interchange opens. Its account also identifies a community garden on part of Painters Yard, but says the guide does not explain what would happen to it. Those questions remain relevant to residents and nearby businesses as the design develops.