Editing Colchester (section)

===20th century and later===
[[File:Colchestermap.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|right|A map of Colchester from 1940]]
In the early 20th century Colchester lobbied to be the seat for a new [[Church of England]] [[diocese]] for [[Essex]], to be split off from the existing [[Diocese of Rochester]]. The bid was unsuccessful, with county town Chelmsford forming the seat of [[Diocese of Chelmsford|the new diocese]].<ref name=ModernColchester>{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=21986&strquery=colchester|title=Modern Colchester: Introduction|editor1=Janet Cooper|editor2=C R Elrington|author1=A P Baggs|author2=Beryl Board|author3=Philip Crummy|author4=Claude Dove|author5=Shirley Durgan|author6=N R Goose|author7=R B Pugh|author8=Pamela Studd|author9=C C Thornton|work=A History of the County of Essex: Volume 9: The Borough of Colchester|publisher=Institute of Historical Research|year=1994|access-date=28 July 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102061923/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=21986&strquery=colchester|archive-date=2 November 2012}}</ref>

In the 2nd World War Colchester's main significance lay in its infantry and light-anti-aircraft training units and in the Paxman factory, which supplied a large proportion of the engines for British submarines and landing craft. Occasionally hit by stray single German aircraft in 1940 and 1941, in 1942 more serious attempts to bomb its industries were made by the Luftwaffe. None of these attacks hit their targets, but a raid on 11 August bombed [[Severalls Hospital]] and killed 38 elderly patients. In February 1944 a single raider caused a huge fire in the St Botolph's area which gutted warehouses, shops and part of Paxman's Britannia Works. The total wartime bombing death toll in the borough was 55.<ref>(Sources:--Eastern Command, 11 Corps, various divisional, brigade and battalion, and Colchester Garrison war diaries in WO 166 series at National Archives, Kew; 4 Civil Defence Region reports in HO 192/193 series at National Archives; CW 1 Police Incident records at Essex County Record Office).</ref>

The [[University of Essex]] was established at Wivenhoe Park in 1961.<ref name=ModernColchester/> The £22.7M {{convert|8|mi|km|0|abbr=off|adj=on}} [[A120 road|A120]] Colchester Eastern Bypass opened in June 1982.

Colchester and the surrounding area is currently undergoing significant regeneration,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.colchester-regen.co.uk|title=Homepage&nbsp;– Colchester Borough Council|publisher=Colchester-regen.co.uk|access-date=17 January 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121080542/http://www.colchester-regen.co.uk/|archive-date=21 November 2008}}</ref> including controversial greenfield residential development in Mile End and Braiswick.<ref name="lovemyland.org.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.lovemyland.org.uk|title=Home|publisher=Love Myland|access-date=22 December 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303204010/http://www.lovemyland.org.uk/|archive-date=3 March 2016}}</ref> At the time of the [[2011 United Kingdom census]]<!-- Note that the 178000 population reported in 2011 is for the borough: the subject of this article is the town, so it is not appropriate. It is linked in the demographics section below -->, Colchester and its surrounding built up area had a population of [[List of urban areas in England by population|121,859]], marking a considerable rise from the previous census and with considerable development since 2001 and ongoing building plans; it has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/england/8626127.stm|title=Concerns over 'fast-growing' town|date=16 April 2010|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> The local football team, Colchester United, moved into a [[Weston Homes Community Stadium|brand new stadium]] at Cuckoo Farm in 2008.

On 20 May 2022, it was announced that as part of the [[Platinum Jubilee Civic Honours]], what was then the [[Borough of Colchester]] would receive [[City status in the United Kingdom|city status]]. It was slated to receive the status formally by [[Letters patent (United Kingdom)|letters patent]] on 12 September 2022,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Record number of city status winners announced to celebrate Platinum Jubilee|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/record-number-of-city-status-winners-announced-to-celebrate-platinum-jubilee|access-date=2022-05-21|website=Gov.uk|language=en}}</ref><ref name="City date2">{{Cite web|title=Revealed: When Colchester will officially be named a city (but we won't get a royal visit)|url=https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/20604150.colchester-city-status-set-made-official-september/|access-date=2022-08-17|website=Gazette|date=8 August 2022|language=en}}</ref> however following the [[death of Queen Elizabeth II]], the ceremony was postponed.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2022-09-09|title=Queen Elizabeth II: Colchester city status ceremony plans postponed|language=en-GB|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-62851159|access-date=2022-09-19}}</ref> On 29 September 2022, the letters patent was made public, with Colchester receiving city status dated 5 September 2022 by the late Queen.<ref name="Crown Office-2022" /> Colchester officially received city status on 23 November 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Colchester City Council|url=https://www.colchester.gov.uk/city-status/|access-date=2023-04-23|website=colchester.gov.uk|language=en-US}}</ref> Colchester was visited by [[Charles III|King Charles III]] on 7 March 2023, in order to congratulate Colchester on receiving city status.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2023-03-07|title=King Charles and Camilla visit Colchester to mark city status|language=en-GB|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-64875029|access-date=2023-06-11}}</ref>