CALLS are being made to spruce up a neglected part of Worcester’s riverside amid fears that it is dragging the area down.

Derelict buildings, rusty fencing and poorly kept land is blighting the southern tip of the stretch between Diglis Dock Road and Navigation Road.

Worcester City Council , which has spent more than £5 million revamping the rest of the riverside, is now urging the land owners to take action. The section is owned by the Canal and River Trust (CRT) which is in talks with council chiefs over its future.

The land used to be owned by British Water-ways, but the organisation disbanded over the summer with the CRT now responsible for 2,000 miles of waterways across the country.

Council chiefs say the stretch, which starts at the oil basin downstream, is the last link in the chain to completing the riverside regeneration.

Councillor Roger Knight, cabinet member for cleaner and greener, said: “With the riverside looking so good and attracting so many more people to enjoy the waterside walks, we are hoping to encourage the trust to tidy up the last southerly section as it is in bad need of some TLC.

“Until recently we were in discussion with British Waterways about renovation and bringing this stretch to life and that had been going on for quite a while.

"However, with this new organisation we believe that there will be a more dynamic approach in bringing the standard up to match the rest of the riverside.

“The added value from the nearby developments makes this land a really worthwhile project deserving investment. We are hoping to hear from them in the very near future.”

Any hopes on seeing improvements will rely on the CRT securing outside funding to spruce the land up.

A CRT spokesman said: “We have been in discussions with both the city and the county councils about including the land in question as part of a scheme to improve and upgrade the riverside and cycleway.”