NEARLY £20million will be spent on easing congestion in the centre and north of Colchester, after a successful funding bid.

The Government announced today the South East local enterprise partnership, a group of councillors and business leaders from Essex, Kent and Sussex, had secured £442m to boost growth in the region.

Among the first projects will be a £19 million package of improvements to Colchester’s notoriously congested town centre and North Station Roundabout.

A further £500,000 has been awarded to help improve broadband speeds in Colchester’s business parks.

Partnership chairman Peter Jones said: “This initial funding is tremendously good news for our businesses and residents – addressing years of under-funding of the South East’s transport network.”

See Monday's Gazette for more.