Colchester Local Information
Practical local information for Colchester: bin collection days, parking, council tax bands and planning, each one linked back to the official source.
Top story
Colchester Roadworks This Week: Cymbeline Way and A12
Cymbeline Way shuts at Spring Lane roundabout from 1 October, the A12 northbound closes overnight on 9 October, and late trains are bussed 26 to 29 October.
More stories
Bins
Colchester Christmas Bin Collections: Days Move Forward
Colchester brings Christmas bin collections forward a day, not back. Last year's full table, the garden waste pause, and when the 2026 dates are due.
Schools
Colchester School Term Dates 2026/27: Half Terms and INSET
Essex half term is 26 to 30 October and Christmas starts 21 December. CRGS, County High and Philip Morant add their own INSET days. Every date, school by school.
Bins
Colchester Recycling Centre: Winter Hours 9am to 4pm
Shrub End tip moves to winter hours, 9am to 4pm daily, from 16 October. Book a free slot first; it shuts 1pm Christmas Eve and is closed on 25, 26 Dec and 1 Jan.
Travel
Colchester Christmas Trains and Buses: Last Year's Plan
Last Christmas, Greater Anglia trains stopped by 10pm on Christmas Eve, ran none on the 25th and 26th, and ended at Stratford. What to expect for 2026.
Half term
Colchester October Half Term 2026: 12 Things On Locally
Colchester's October half term is 26 to 30 October. Zoo Shriek Week, a Castle sleepover, the last week of the Moon, free museum stories: dates and prices.
Local Info
Colchester house prices: £297,824, and flats at 2021 levels
The average Colchester home sold for £297,824 in July 2026, down 0.5% on the year while England rose 1.1%. Prices by type, and how the city compares in Essex.
Bins
Colchester Bin Days: Your Collection Day Changed on 1 June
Every kerbside collection day in Colchester changed on 1 June 2026. Food is weekly, everything else fortnightly, and the wheeled bin rollout runs to March 2027.
Parking
Parking in Colchester: Britannia Is £1.80 All Day on Sunday
Britannia costs £1.80 all day on a Sunday and 80p overnight. Full 2026 tariffs for nine council car parks, the free hours in Dedham, and the St John's lock-up trap.
Council Tax
Colchester Council Tax: £2,240.94 at Band D This Year
Band D is £2,240.94 in unparished Colchester and £2,412.07 in Wivenhoe. The full A to H table for all 35 charging areas, and where every pound of the bill goes.
Local Info
Colchester to London trains: 47 mins, £6,700 a year
The fastest Colchester to Liverpool Street train takes 47 minutes and an annual season costs £6,700. Peak times, fares, and why Colchester Town is slower.
Local Info
Things to do in Colchester: free museums, £13.95 castle
Two Colchester museums and three gallery shows are free, the Castle is £13.95 and the zoo £26.89 online. Prices, opening days and what is closed, checked this month.
Local Info
Colchester planning: 20,800 homes, last say this autumn
Colchester must plan 20,800 new homes by 2041 and submit the plan by 31 December 2026. The consultation that decides the sites runs August to October.