THE LEADER of the city council has welcomed a £550,000 scheme to regenerate a part of Worcester which he claimed was ‘letting the city down’.
Work to revamp Angel Place and the city’s market is set to get underway next month after Worcester City Council’s cabinet agreed to go ahead with the project on Tuesday (July 29).
The scheme, which has also been funded by Worcestershire County Council and The Crown Estate, will see movable stands replace the existing fixed market stands.
The square will also be re-paved and spruced up but it will remain open during the revamp, which is expected to finished in December.
Coun Simon Geraghty, leader of Worcester City Council, said he was delighted to see the scheme come forward as he believed it would help to attract more visitors to Worcester.
“If you think about what has happened in that area recently it is now a connection to The Hive, which has a million people visiting every year,” Coun Geraghty said.
“It is a really busy area there and to be honest Angel Place let’s the city down. It is not the sort of environment we want to create, so I am really pleased this is able to take place this autumn.”
Coun David Wilkinson, cabinet member for Safer and Stronger Communities, added: “I am thrilled to see this come forward.
“Having been involved in the city centre masterplan it is now very gratifying to see elements of it come to fruition.
“It should be a vibrant and quality market for tourists as well as local people.”
The Crown Estate, which owns CrownGate Shopping Centre, has also agreed to surrender its lease of the market to the council so the ten-week project can begin.
Council bosses will now be looking for new company to take it over and to run the Victorian Christmas Fayre, which will be organised by Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce this year.
