Regeneration in Wyre Forest
ReWyre Initiative
The Rewyre Initiative was
officially launched on 30th September 2009.
Rewyre is all about partnership working and bringing together the
public sector, businesses and the wider community to improve the
town.
An integral part of the ReWyre Initiative is
the Kidderminster Regeneration Prospectus.
The Prospectus provides a blueprint for the
exciting future for the town.
Read more information
on the ReWyre Initiative and the Kidderminster Regeneration
Prospectus
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 and 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.
