COUNCIL chiefs have taken the wraps off a revamp of St Andrew’s Gardens close to the city’s historic Cathedral to create a new route between the High Street and Worcester’s riverside.
A report to Worcester City Council’s Place and Economic Development Committee reveals the gardens, once the site of St Andrew’s Church, will gain an attractive new entrance and new accessible pathway down to the river.
It will be part-funded by a share of the £19.6million the City Council has secured from the Government’s Towns Fund.
The new plans include the creation of a new, more welcoming entrance at the corner of Deansway and Copenhagen Street, and a new, wheelchair-friendly route from the pedestrian crossing at Deansway through the gardens to Quay Street and the Riverside Park.
This is intended to make it easier than ever for residents and visitors to enjoy the natural riverside beauty at the heart of the city.
Other improvements will include moving the original tip of the spire of the old St Andrew’s Church tower from its current location in the gardens to a new more visible focal point, close to the revamped entrance.
The old church was demolished in 1948, after the building was ruled to be structurally unsafe. All that remains today is the spire, but the original tip of it was relocated to ground level in the 1980s for safety reasons. A replica tip was subsequently placed on top of the spire.
The proposals will create better views of the river and the surrounding heritage buildings, and accessible steps will be installed to create a new pedestrian route into the neighbouring Copenhagen Street car park.
The scheme will be funded with £180,000 from the Towns Fund and £72,000 from developer contributions, under conditions attached to planning permissions in the area.
The council intends to consult a range of local groups as the designs for the project are developed, including Age UK, ASPIE, Dementia Support Worcestershire, Alzheimer’s Society, Sight Concern and the Worcestershire Association of Carers.
It intends to apply in late August for planning permission, conservation area consent and listed building consent, with public consultations on those applications expected to take place during September.
A contractor is expected to be appointed by early January next year, and they will carry out the construction work in the spring and summer.
The final phase will be the planting of new trees, shrubs and perennials, which is expected to take place in the winter of 2024.
