East of England Co-op and City Council install safety bollards at Colchester store

The bollards come in response to an incident in which a car crashed into the Shrub End East of England Co-op Food store

In November last year a car accidentally crashed into an East of England Co-op Food store. The car collided with a colleague working in the store and caused significant damage to the building. The injured colleague was taken to hospital with minor injuries and discharged the same day.  

The car park and pavement around the store are owned by Colchester City Council, so the local retailer and the Council joined forces to find a solution to prevent future incidents 

Stuart McDonald, Chief Property Officer at the East of England Co-op said: “The safety of our colleagues and customers is always our top priority. As soon as the incident happened, we reached out to Colchester City Council to find a joint solution that would protect and reassure our colleagues, customers and the local community. We are very grateful to the Council, who proactively addressed the issue and quickly started work to arrange the installation of the bollards in potential risk locations. Our colleagues feel much safer now that the safety measures have been installed.” 

Colchester City Cllr Natalie Sommers, cabinet member for communities, heritage, and public protection said: “We’re very pleased to have supported the East of England Co-op in responding to this serious incident. Public safety is always a key concern for us, and we were keen to work together on a practical solution. The installation of bollards outside the Shrub End store is a positive step to help prevent future accidents and protect both customers and staff.”