Gallery 'delayed and over budget'

Building work continues on the visual arts centre

A new visual arts centre in Colchester hailed as a landmark for the East will be delayed and over budget.

Firstsite:newsite was supposed to open in the spring but the borough council said the �16m cost had risen to �18m so far, with work ongoing.

It said it must continue with the project or repay �14m funds secured from the East of England Development Agency and the Arts Council.

The centre has been designed to house contemporary arts and culture.

Martin Hunt, deputy leader of Colchester Borough Council, told BBC News: "If somebody comes up to you and says 'we'll give you x million pounds to have a nice new state-of-the art arts facility in your town' it's very difficult to say no.

"But I think if I'd been around at the time I would have cautioned that having a unique project means that there are likely to be unique problems down the line, which is exactly what we're having now."

The 3,000 sq m (32,300 sq ft) building will offer a range of facilities including:

High-quality presentation spaces to show the full range of contemporary art forms

Exhibition space for the University of Essex collection of Latin American art

A flexible, creative education centre for large and small groups of all ages

A resource centre/seminar room with library and IT research facilities

An auditorium with facilities for 200 people with adjacent rooms for meetings, seminars and education

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version