More than sixty business leaders and stakeholders gather to discuss Wyre Forest’s future
News release issued:
More than sixty business leaders and key stakeholders from across Wyre Forest district gathered for a key debate which focused on the current state and future outlook of the local economy and community.
The Wyre Forest State of the Area Debate took place at The Old Court, Kidderminster on Friday 24 October, featuring presentations from Mark Garnier OBE, MP for Wyre Forest; Councillor Marcus Hart, Leader of Wyre Forest District Council; and Kate Snell, Programme Manager of BetaDen.
Following the presentations, Mark Garnier OBE MP and Councillor Marcus Hart were joined by Cat Lewis, Principal of Kidderminster College, and Jenny Long, Managing Director of IceBlue for a lively question and answer session facilitated by Ian Miller, Chief Executive of Wyre Forest District Council. The panel shared their perspectives on the district’s business climate and covered a range of critical topics such as the upcoming Government budget, the future of Local Government, and a dedicated focus on skills development and training opportunities within the district.
Councillor Marcus Hart, Leader of Wyre Forest District Council, said:
“We are committed to regenerating and improving our district in every way we can, and the State of the Area Debate provided an important opportunity to engage with key local business, community, and political stakeholders. It was valuable to hear local leaders raising questions, sharing perspectives, and reflecting on the opportunities and challenges facing our district.”
This event highlights the ongoing commitment of Wyre Forest’s public and private sectors to work collaboratively to ensure economic resilience and growth of the district.
A video showing investments across Wyre Forest in recent years can be seen below, as well as some photos from the event.
Transcript
Text on screen reading:
In recent years, Wyre Forest has seen…
- £60 million of investment
- New and improved employment, commercial, cultural, leisure and entertainment assets
- Significant improvement and expansion of green assets
- 300m flood defence system in Bewdley
- Improved and expanded Kidderminster train station
Councillor Marcus Hart, Leader of Wyre Forest District Council speaking:
Wyre Forest District Council, together with partners, are doing all that we can to regenerate our district. Here I am outside The Old Court in Worcester Street in Kidderminster, which is a project which we were successful in achieving £20.5 million pounds of Future High Streets Fund. This is one of our fantastic projects in regenerating a redundant listed building in our town centre, and there's lots going on in Kidderminster and the wider Wyre Forest.
Councillor Dan Morehead, Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration, Planning and the Green Agenda speaking:
2025 sees the completion of a significant amount of investment across multiple projects in Wyre Forest district. Wyre Forest District Council was successful in achieving grants of over £30 million pounds from the Levelling Up Fund and the Future High Streets Funds. As you can see behind me, the Piano Building, bringing back a historic building into use and will be used for mixed food and beverage and office space. We've also been able to invest in the space in front of the Piano Building to offer a contemporary setup that we'll be able to use for entertainment, events, and of course daily socializing.
Councillor Marcus Hart, Leader of Wyre Forest District Council speaking:
We've got Future High Streets Fund for the Connectivity Project just in Worcester Street, which is an urban park, getting rid of all the old step entry where the redundant Woolworths and Littlewoods buildings were and that will open up that end of the High Street and Worcester Street which will be a great link to what we're proposing on the former Glades Leisure Centre site, in our Bromsgrove Street car park, which is approximately 150 residential dwellings, which is really important to regenerate our town centre, and there's lots of other good things going on in Kidderminster as well.
Mark Garnier OBE, MP for Wyre Forest, speaking:
So I'm here in Kidderminster Town Hall in the area that used to be the car park and the courtyard. As you can see, this extraordinary space has been converted into a bar in order to make Kidderminster Town Hall a hugely important music venue and attraction for the centre of our town and indeed for the region. This has come as a result of an £8 million pound investment from the Levelling Up fund plus a £3 million pound investment from Kidderminster Town Council.
Councillor Dan Morehead, Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration, Planning and the Green Agenda speaking:
Of course, The Old Court doesn't just offer modern and contemporary business space in a historic building. We've also developed The Weaving Sheds behind which will be a fantastic mixed use entertainment space and bring vibrancy back into our town in the wider Wyre Forest as well.
Councillor Marcus Hart, Leader of Wyre Forest District Council speaking:
We're putting in some funding from the UK Share Prosperity Fund and our own Evergreen Investment Funding to Bewdley Museum which is our flagship museum in the district, which will create a more flexible space at the entrance. And, of course, Brinton Park - £2.4 million pounds from the Heritage Lottery Fund which will see the duck pond recreated, and the café, and will make that a flagship park within our district.
Mark Garnier OBE, MP for Wyre Forest, speaking:
I'm delighted to be here in Bewdley at the opening of these fantastic new flood defences. It's very very good news that we've had £10 million pounds of government money to put into these flood defences. The temporary defences we have here on Beale's Corner mean the whole town gets closed off. Now, for the first time ever, Bewdley will be open through all the flood defences which is really really good news. Now this £10 million pounds is part of a wider £50 million plus of investment into the wider Wyre Forest. All of this money coming in is making Wyre Forest a better place to live, to work, and a better place to bring up your family.
