COLCHESTER Council will need to borrow £2.8 million to deliver the Northern Gateway sports complex, it has been revealed.

A contractor is due to be appointed to build the development on land next to the A12 in Colchester.

The contractor to work on the grass pitches has already been appointed and work on this is three weeks ahead of schedule.

This new contract, to be assigned on Wednesday, will be to ensure the buildings, the cycle track and all remaining works to the site are completed, as well as improvements to the highway.

In August 2017, Colchester’s Cabinet approved the revised budget for the sports park project.

This showed a total scheme cost of £24.1 million, and it was assumed it would be funded through external funding, council funding and some council borrowing.

READ MORE: Northern Gateway sports hub approved

As the scheme has progressed and achieved planning consent the budget requirement has increased to £25.38 million.

The reasons for this are because of increased archaeological investigations, fixtures and fittings required to carry out works, additional highway works and tender returns.

It means the council now has a borrowing requirement of £2.8 million.

Nick Barlow (Lib Dem), Colchester Council’s councillor responsible for infrastructure, said work is due to start on the building searly next year.

He said: “It has been a long process and councillor Annie Feltham did a lot of work to get this off the ground, but we are now coming to the end of the beginning.

READ MORE: Colchester Rugby Club bosses deny any deal is done ahead of Northern Gateway move

“Hopefully construction will start very soon.” The Northern Gateway sports hub will include facilities for rugby, cycling, badminton and many more activities.

A rugby clubhouse will also be built at the site to facilitate the existing rugby club users from Mill Road.

This is expected to open at the end of next year.

The “sports hub” is due to open in January 2020. The Cabinet report said: “This is an important milestone in the delivery of the Northern Gateway sports hub and is a major step in creating a destination of regional significance for sport.

READ MORE: Northern Gateway will be Colchester's 'lasting legacy'

“The appointment of contractor and acceptance of the revised budget requirement and funding package will enable the 76 acre sports hub project to progress and allow the buildings, civil and infrastructure elements of the project to commence.”