COUNCIL chiefs have rubber-stamped proposals which will see The Range open its doors on the former Homebase site on Hylton Road with the creation of 85 jobs.
Members of Worcester City Council’s planning committee gave the green light to the plans at a meeting last Thursday (February 21) which will see the retail giant occupy the vast site left vacant when Homebase closed.
Councillors voted unanimously for the plans and to amend a planning condition dating back more than three decades which prevented anybody other than Homebase from occupying the store.
Ailing Homebase bosses revealed last summer it intended to close 42 of its stores nationwide but in order to close the Hylton Road site it needed to amend the condition granted to Homebase when they arrived in the city in the 1980s.
Speaking at the meeting, Coun Pat Agar welcomed the plans and said the retail park was a good employment site for the city.
Her comments were echoed by Bedwardine Coun Bill Amos who said: “I think The Range is an excellent choice to take over a vacant premises and I think it will maintain the vibrancy of the area.
“It will provide security of employment for those already working there. If it’s left empty I think we will have vandalism and graffiti. St John’s is already blighted by empty properties which are a real eyesore and detract from people visiting the area.
“I think this is an investment in the area, it shows confidence and it will maintain the vibrancy of the retail area down there,” he added.
Coun Christine Cawthorne raised concerns over the possibility of post office services being included as part of the proposals and highlighted St John’s popular post office.
In response, council officers said they would discuss the provision of such services with the applicants.
