A tale of two Roman cities

12.00.00am GMT Mon 19th Feb 2007

Bob Russell MP at site of Roman Chariot Racing Stadium

The contrasting way in which two of Britain's famous Roman cities promote their past has been laid bare in the space of just 24 hours.

While the Council in Colchester - the First Capital of Roman Britain - was approving plans to build blocks of flats just 15 feet from the edge of the only Roman Chariot Racing Stadium (Circus) found in this country, the next day Chester was looking to exploit the tourism potential which will follow from the discovery of an amphitheatre where gladiatorial combat took place.

Colchester and Chester have a shared heritage. Both were major Roman garrison towns, the word "chester" signifying this fact.

The Chester find has been dubbed the equivalent of the "Roman Wembley" of that time, a media spin from the Cheshire city which ignores the fact that the Roman Circus in Colchester has a greater claim to this title because it was bigger and would have accommodated up to 15,000 spectators.

Colchester MP Bob Russell said: "It is enough to make you weep.

"Here we have in Colchester a discovery of international importance, actually more important than the wonderful news which has just emerged from Chester, yet Colchester Borough Council has thrown away the chance to make the town the undisputed Roman tourist attraction in Britain - instead, it is allowing blocks of flats to be built which will destroy the setting.

"Colchester's lack of civic leadership and vision is appalling. The contrast with Chester makes the situation all the more damning."

In a stinging indictment, he added: "The problem we have is that the town is run by councillors and senior officers most of whom don't live here. These here-today-gone-tomorrow people simply do not have a grasp of what having stewardship of Britain's Oldest Recorded Town is all about.

"For the Council, allowing developers Taylor Woodrow to build yet more housing in a town groaning with new developments has a higher priority."

The Roman Circus was discovered two years' ago on land within the former Colchester Garrison which has been sold by the Ministry of Defence for development. A new garrison has been built about a mile away.

Mr Russell said that while English Heritage was relieved that the Circus itself is not going to be built on, the Council should have demanded that the setting at Abbey Field was looked at as a major tourist attraction.

"That is precisely what enlightened people in Chester appear to be doing. I have been saying for the past year or so that had the discovery of the Roman Circus in Colchester occurred in Chester or York, then the local council there would have understood the importance and would have done something to promote this unique find which is of international significance.

"I had not expected, however, that my hypothetical observation - of how Chester would react to such a major discovery - would become reality with the discovery of Chester's gladiatorial arena, very important but not quite as important as the remains of Colchester's Roman Circus which is believed to have been the largest building in Roman Britain."

Colchester Borough Council has claimed that the Circus foundations have been protected from development and that English Heritage is happy with this arrangement. The Council has also said that it will allocate £100,000 towards promoting the discovery.

This has been dismissed as "derisory" by Mr Russell. "It may sound a lot, but the one-off sum the Council is talking about is equivalent to half the annual subsidy they will be giving to a new Visual Arts Facility, and this £200,000 subsidy will occur year after year.

"In addition to the annual subsidy, the Council has also handed over

£2 million towards the cost of building the VAF, which will be England's 300th art gallery.

"The international importance of the discovery of Britain's only Roman Chariot Racing Stadium has been largely ignored by Colchester Borough Council. Chester has shown what could have been done here, and should have been done."

He added that English Heritage's prime interest was to see the site protected from development. Unfortunately, he believes that this single objective has enabled the Council and developers Taylor Woodrow to argue that this is sufficient.

Mr Russell observed: "The Council, as I am sure would have happened in Chester, should have insisted on preserving the setting of the Circus and promote it as a major tourist attraction.

"Allowing new housing, four-storeys high, to be built just 15 feet away shows lack of vision. Indeed, one could say it is bordering on irresponsibility."

The discovery of the Roman Circus was featured by historian Tony Robinson on the "Time Team" television programme.