A building preservation trust is seeking an occupier to operate a disused former water tower in the heart of Colchester’s cultural quarter and city centre.
North Essex Heritage has secured National Lottery funding to restore the 40m high Balkerne Water Tower, which was built in 1883 to supply fresh water to the city, and bring it into commercial use.
The tower, which is affectionately known as ‘Jumbo’, looks directly over the High Street and a Roman gateway to the city.
Plans for the tower could see visitors enter a lobby within the legs on the ground floor and take a glass lift or stairs to the former tank and engineers’ room. The tank would be refurbished and windows could provide panoramic views of the city. Overall the space could have a capacity for 120+ guests, set across circa 3,000 sq ft of trading space.
Simon Hall MBE DL, chair of North Essex Heritage, said: “Made possible thanks to National Lottery players, we plan to bring the water tower back to life and open it to the public, showcasing the history of the building. We understand that for this to happen it needs to be commercially viable, presenting a unique opportunity for the hospitality sector to get involved. We think this could be a really special events venue, or artistic hub, maybe alongside a restaurant or bar.
“We’ve already managed to secure £250,000 funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to develop our plans to restore the tower, but now we need to find the right business who can help bring our ambitions to life.”
Paul Bugeja, from Colliers’ licensed and leisure team, which has been appointed to market the building, said: “Jumbo is an icon for the people of Colchester overlooking the High Street, it can be seen for miles around. However not many people will have had the opportunity to go inside and see the reverse of that view. North Essex Heritage has a vision to turn this deserted icon into a destination, not only for local residents but also visitors to the city.
“We’re looking for a range of potential occupiers who could be interested in taking on a one-of-a-kind space. As we have seen across the leisure sector, customers are prepared to spend their money on going out but they’re looking for their experience to be stand-out and unique. The nature of this water tower offers exactly that and creates an amazing opportunity for any operator looking to take it on. We’re interested to hear from those who would like to take on the whole tower or who would like to take on part to create mix of partners which would suit both residents and visitors to the city.”
