Council once again seeks regeneration investment

Councillors have agreed to launch a fresh attempt to secure an investor for a major regeneration scheme in Worcester - saying it has "massive potential".

Worcestershire County Council is seeking a development partner for Shrub Hill Quarter, which could include 500 homes and new office and retail space, alongside a walking and cycling route.

Last year it abandoned the hunt for a partner after a poor response from investors, but now the council's ruling Green-Lib Dem-independent coalition has agreed to relaunch it.

Councillor Adam Kent, deputy leader and cabinet member for business, said it was "one of the most significant regeneration opportunities in the West Midlands".

Kent said: "It's a huge opportunity - it's right next to a mainline train station, and it's about time we got this project moving.

"We're adopting a much more flexible approach now in terms of the way we're looking at the site - we're looking for a partner with the experience to deliver regeneration on a significant scale.

"The people of Worcester want this to happen, and our job is to give it the best possible chance of happening."

The authority intends to draw up a shortlist of four potential private sector partners, and make a final decision by the end of the year.

Council leader Matt Jenkins said: "Development on brownfield sites is just what we're crying out for.

"It's an ideal location and the potential is massive - we've got to get the best we can out of this site."

Last year the council tried to woo an investor, only for the then-Reform administration to be told there had been an "insufficient response" from the private sector.

At the time, some investors told the council the site had big potential, but they were put off by a lack of flexibility in the plans and a lengthy bid process.

There was also a feeling that the flat economy hardly encouraged investors, who were facing spending a speculative six-figure sum just to prepare a bid.

The site is hugely important to the council, a sprawling industrial estate which it acquired in 2020, when the then-Conservative leadership called it a potential "game changer" for the city.

The dream scenario was to create an eco-friendly destination where people could live, work and spend leisure time.

The council has a 20-year vision for the site, but now intends to be more flexible in terms of what ends up on it, having taken on the feedback from investors.

It will not happen overnight - just clearing the site could take three years, by which time a decade will have passed since the authority bought the land.

The council is considering leasing the site for an initial period of five years, to give a development partner time to sort the area out and begin the process of getting planning approval.

The Green-Lib Dem-independent leadership is also keen to get moving now, in the knowledge that the clock is ticking. In 2028 local government reorganisation will kick in, with some councillors viewing Shrub Hill Quarter as a perfect political legacy for what will then become the old county council.

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