Huge investment bid in Worcester backed

A huge bid that will see almost £20 million invested in the city has been backed by councillors.

The funding will pay for the much-needed regeneration of Worcester’s tired Shrub Hill area as well contribute to the creation of a new health and wellbeing centre on the banks of the River Severn.

The plans also include building of the city’s second Building Block construction skills centre in Dines Green, walking and cycling improvements and money to improve the city’s museum and art gallery, heritage sites and riverside.

The revised bid was backed by Worcester City Council’s policy and resources committee at a meeting in the Guildhall on Tuesday (September 7).

Cllr Marc Bayliss said the almost £20million was a “fantastic investment” and marked one of the biggest sums of money the city has received in decades.

It was revealed in June that Worcester – which was one of 101 towns and cities across the UK to be invited to bid for money – was in line to receive £19.6 million from the government’s multi-billion-pound Towns Fund.

The money that has been offered by the government is around 70 per cent of the £28 million the council bid for which means some of the projects in the original bid have now been scrapped.

Cllr Jo Hodges had some concerns the council was not “achieving as much as it could” by abandoning some of the planned improvements to the city’s community centres.

Cllr James Stanley said that even at a reduced sum, the money being invested was still “substantial.”

He said: “I think we should still acknowledge that this is still a substantial piece of investment, even in a slightly reduced form than what we had to begin with. I think there is still much to commend here.”

Cllr Chris Mitchell added: “It is £19.6 million that is invested in the city into some of the areas we need, into active travel, into skills for local people. It is 70 per cent of what we bid for and I think officers should be commended for the work that has gone into achieving such an investment into the city that will benefit everyone.

“Obviously it would be fantastic if we got 100 per cent but most people would take 70 per cent of something rather than 100 per cent of nothing.”

The council’s original bid had asked for £5million to support community skills projects and training in the city but only 40 per cent of the money – just under £2 million – was offered.

The council will receive around £640,000 for its various heritage and riverside projects – just 13 per cent of what was bid for – with a number of potential contributions to improvement work around the River Severn now ditched.

Almost all of the planned walking and cycling improvements will be carried out with the council set to receive 94 per cent of what was originally bid for.