Colchester's oldest building set to get £4.5m revamp

Colchester City Council has named Colchester Amphora as the preferred partner to develop a proposed £4.5 million plan to reopen Holy Trinity Church, the city's oldest standing building; a refreshed National Lottery Heritage Fund bid is being prepared and the churchyard revival has separate government funding.

Holy Trinity Church in Colchester, the city's oldest standing building, may be revived under a proposed £4.5 million plan. Colchester City Council has named events firm Colchester Amphora as the preferred operating partner to develop the scheme. Earlier charity-led proposals, including work with St Helena's Hospice, ended after financial pressures and the hospice withdrew late last year. The council says it is preparing a refreshed National Lottery Heritage Fund bid and expects to share further updates in the summer. Current details: - Colchester Amphora has been named the preferred operating partner to develop the proposed scheme for Holy Trinity Church. - The plan is described as a £4.5 million revamp to reopen the 11th-century building for community use, with space for groups and a cafe. - The church has not held religious services since 1954 and has stood empty since 2017. - The project previously received a £500,000 government grant for the building works. - The adjacent Trinity Square graveyard revival has a separate £600,000 government grant and is scheduled to start between Spring 2026 and Spring 2027. - The council is preparing a refreshed National Lottery Heritage Fund bid; the outcome will influence whether the wider revamp goes ahead. Summary: The project aims to bring community facilities into a long-unused historic building and to revive the adjacent churchyard as a public space. Work on the Trinity Square graveyard project has secured funding and a planned start window. The outcome of the refreshed National Lottery Heritage Fund bid will determine whether the wider £4.5 million revamp proceeds. Undetermined at this time.