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Urban and Rural Regeneration
Working in partnership to deliver regeneration, economic development and sustainable tourism, the Regeneration and Economic Prosperity Section also provide urban and town centre management support.
Specifically the Section:
- Develops and implements regeneration policy initiatives;
- Supports Kidderminster Town Centre Partnership and other regeneration based partnerships across the District;
- Prepares site development briefs and design guides;
- Works with the Forward Planning Section to develop and implement specific aspects of the Local Development Framework e.g. the Kidderminster Central Area Action Plan;
- Promotes the economic wellbeing of the District by encouraging innovation, growth and sustainability of new and existing businesses;
- Supports Destination Worcestershire Marketing Partnership and promotes the District as an attractive tourist destination;
- Develops, enhances and promotes the District's town centres by encouraging an accessible and attractive environment;
- Pursues, where appropriate, external sources of funding to assist and promote the economic and social development of the District;
- Provides access to a wide range of employment opportunities and skills training for local people.
Context of the District
The Wyre Forest District comprises three distinctive riverside towns of Kidderminster, Stourport-on-Severn and Bewdley and surrounding countryside in the north of the County of Worcestershire.
The District contains a mainly urban population with 85% of its 98,000 residents living within one of the three towns, although the majority of land in the district is rural. Kidderminster, the largest town with 56,000 people and in commercial terms is the ’Strategic Centre’ of the district, is defined as a 'Local Regeneration Area' as set out in the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy. Stourport and Bewdley are recognised as Market Towns in the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy and the West Midlands Regional Economic Strategy and are both home to a significant urban population at 20,000 and 9,000 people respectively.
Kidderminster expanded rapidly in the 19th Century and is still closely associated with the carpet industry, though since the 1970s the industry has been in decline leaving the town in a process of economic diversification. The Georgian Market Towns of Stourport and Bewdley have benefited from significant tourism. They continue to be thriving market towns and successful visitor attractions in their own right.
The surrounding area is predominantly rural containing numerous small villages as well as a diverse natural landscape including the Wyre Forest plus the river valleys of the Severn and the Stour. The District also contains the important regional and national tourist destinations of the Severn Valley Railway and West Midland Safari Park.
The Regeneration Challenge
Although the district as a whole is perceived as being relatively prosperous, the area suffers from pockets of deprivation. Oldington & Foley Park ward in Kidderminster is the most deprived ward in Worcestershire with part of it ranked 16th in the UK for deprivation in educational attainment. The Horsefair, Broadwaters and Greenhill areas of the town also have significant areas of deprivation issues, as well as below average household incomes. The District Council is looking to tackle these challenges through the preparation of the ‘Connecting Kidderminster: Regeneration Prospectus’ which the Council is looking to publish in November 2008.
The District's rural settlements suffer from a limited range of facilities and are poorly served by public transport. There are also issues of affordable housing in these often quite affluent areas. A significant part of the west of the District falls within the Advantage West Midlands Rural Regeneration Zone. A separate ‘Regeneration Strategy’ is currently being prepared for the rural areas and is due to be completed in October.
For more information and latest updates regarding regeneration please contact us on (01562) 732192 or email the regeneration team.
