THE departed chief executive of Worcester City Council has revealed his backing for a £12 million 'Green Skywalk' - urging those he left behind to make it happen.

Duncan Sharkey, who stepped down last week, has decided to pass on a powerful leaving message to the city's political leaders by saying he is desperate to see the grand tourist attraction come off.

The 43-year-old, who has left Worcester for a top directors job in Milton Keynes, kept his counsel in recent months when the Skywalk project was first suggested by a private company.

In an exclusive interview with your Worcester News, he now says he believes the city has "a brilliant opportunity" to create a unique development.

"It's brilliant, it's unique and it's something I really want to see happen in Worcester," he said.

"The great thing about this Skywalk is, it's not been done anywhere else and my message to the city would be 'let's make sure this happens'.

"It will open up the city in a way that's never been done before, but the benefits won't be restricted to just that.

"It will help when there's flooding, but it won't just do that either. It'll be something that genuinely takes Worcester to the next level.

"Worcester is a great city with amazing history and heritage, but what this offers is the chance to create something that will make it even more of a destination, help tourism, create jobs, get people walking more, it ticks all the boxes."

The ringing endorsement is a big boost for One Creative Environments, the city-based firm which has come up with the idea but now needs to raise the £12 million to fund it.

Bosses at the company want to construct a 1,000 metre long raised walkway similar to the New York's famous 'High Line' creation which got tongues wagging around the world.

A huge bridge which would transform the west side of the city and open it up for tourists and pedestrians in way previously considered unimaginable.

The new walkway, starting in Henwick Road, would swirl under the existing railway arches to lead up towards The Hive, signalling the creation of the world's biggest 'green network' of flora and fauna along the pedestrianised route and opening up a derelict viaduct near Orchard House, in Farrier Street in a radical transformation.

One Creative wants to submit a planning application to the city council this summer and says if funding can be found work could start before the year is out, with the project finished by 2018.

* To see what we've said about the Green Skywalk in the past and watch a video, click HERE.