A multi-million-pound regeneration bid that will transform parts of the city has been given the green light by the government.
Worcester will be awarded almost £20 million to regenerate several parts of the city including the Shrub Hill area, a new medical centre on the banks of the River Severn, hundreds of new homes and a new ‘Building Block’ training centre in Dines Green. The plans include redeveloping the First Bus Depot site in Padmore Street near Worcester Shrub Hill station into 350 new homes and 2,000 square metres of commercial space.
The ageing Isaac Maddox House site in Shrub Hill Road would also see a new enterprise centre and up to 100 homes built. A new walking and cycle route between Shrub Hill station, the planned regeneration area and the city centre would also be created.
See the article in Worcester News for more details.
Please let me know what you think about these plans, and also with further funding in the future possible, what should we focus on improving.
There are lots of things in here to support, but my main concern is that sometimes projects are not linked up to create a vision for Worcester. For example, we will have a new foot and cycle bridge at Gheluvelt Park and a new cycle hire scheme, but this would have a greater impact on increasing active travel if there were lots of decent pedestrian and cycling facilities to get people across the city.
Plus, although this is money that the central government is giving out, we must remember that far greater sums have been taken away from local councils by the government over the past 10 years.
What to say £20mm sounds like a lot of money, in reality it is very little. The A4440 dualling budget was £75mm(?), you don’t get much for your money.
With the new Worcestershire Parkway station, plus limited parking at Shrub Hill, does Worcester require three railway stations? Perhaps redevelopment of Shrub Hill, with removal of the awful, dare I say Monstrous Carbuncle, Elgar House, to be replaced with something, anything, that is more aesthetically pleasing – it wouldn’t be that hard surely?
Bus depot to be built on, will there be a new bus depot or are the council just going to remove public transport as an option.
Building new housing in the centre of town is commendable, but if the past year has taught us anything, it is that town centres are tomorrow’s dinosaurs.
Where will these people work? Not in the town centre.
There needs to be cycle paths from the outskirts into town, without those the centres doomed. Nobody wants to pay extortionate parking charges, to see the same shops as any other high street. I can go elsewhere for little opportunity cost and have a better experience.
How will they get there? Not on Worcester’s less than adequate public transport. Maybe by train to Birmingham. Worcester is becoming a dormitory town, for the West Midlands conurbation.
Where’s the big vision, the grand plan?
Worcester has been home to large industry leading enterprise, Royal Worcester, Kay’s Catalogue, now we’re left with Worcester Bosch and Mazak – good but not employing anywhere near enough people.
Give us something to aspire to.