A WORCESTER councillor who represents the city centre says she backs a campaign to get more flats above shops - but refutes claims barely anyone lives there now.

Councillor Lynn Denham told your Worcester News people would wrong to assume the city centre is a "desert" for apartments.

As we revealed last month, talks have launched over a potential new policy to encourage more retailers to convert their empty upper floors into flats.

The idea, called 'Living Over The Shop', has come from former city Green Party parliamentary candidate Louis Stephen, who wants Worcester to become the UK pilot for such a scheme.

Councillor Denham said: "The city centre is not a desert for housing - since I was first elected I've spent a large chunk of my time telling people how it is residential.

"All the way along Friar Street, New Street, by the City Walls Road there are flats, there's residential areas by the Hopmarket and there's almshouses.

"Permission has also just been granted for some residential use above Little Venice (a former restaurant which closed in 2013) - so people might be surprised.

"I do think the Green Party is trying in some respects to try and re-invent the wheel, it's already working successfully.

"But I'm always happy to support more residential use, as long as people have proper access and there's even greater understanding of how businesses and residents can co-exist together."

Mr Stephen wants to register 'Living Over The Shop' as a registered charity and get Worcester to roll out some sort of new policy to encourage retailers to buy into it, saying not enough people live there.

The idea has already been talked over with the Federation of Small Businesses, social housing provider Fortis Living and Worcester's Business Improvement District (BID) to test the waters.

The campaign already has the backing of Worcester MP Robin Walker, who has already contacted the Government to see if any new shop flats could get a two-year 'amnesty' on council tax.

More talks are planned early next month with the city council's housing officers over it, with Mr Stephen saying he wants to keep up the pressure.

There are many reasons why so many upper floors do not currently get converted, including access issues, bin storage and the costs.

Mr Stephen says if it catches on it would transform the city centre as a place for living, cut congestion and ease the acute pressure to build on brownfield and greenfield sites.

* To see our special report going into all the background on this, go HERE.

* Mr Stephen has set up a dedicated website to push the campaign, to view it click HERE.