A DROITWICH councillor is trying to stir up a co-ordinated effort to make the most of the town’s rich brine heritage with a community meeting.

Councillor Richard Morris, who sits on both Droitwich Town Council and Wychavon District Council, is concerned that the town isn’t taking full advantage of its assets to attract tourists and more business, and he plans to launch a new Droitwich Spa Brine Heritage charity to maximise on 2000 years of salt-based history.

He said: “I believe we need to develop a vehicle to exploit this major asset so I am looking to set up a ‘Droitwich Spa Brine Heritage charity’. This could help provide an overall strategy on how brine can be effectively used to support the image of our town. Hopefully projects developed would support grant funding and even support the flagship projects of the lido and brine baths.”

Councillor Morris has produced a report on how Droitwich Spa could benefit from its brine heritage, which commends the current festival calendar, but also recommends a number of possible ways the town could exploit its history, including setting up a charity to focus funding and create flagship projects.

Some of his ideas include relaunching the town’s brine baths which closed in 2009; rebranding the High Street as the ‘Wonky High Street’ after its sunken cobbles caused by brine runs underneath the road; reopening the Tower Hill pumps, which are the last working brine well in the town; launching an archaeological dig to explore possible Roman frescos at the former Baxenden chemicals site; opening up the former brine runs as a tourist attraction, and publicising mosaics in the Sacred Heart Church which show St Richard blessing the town’s wells.

Councillor Morris is calling on anyone interested in playing an active role in setting up and being a part of the charity, including applying for grants, to attend a meeting in the John Corbett Room at the Community Centre on Heritage Way from 7pm on Tuesday, October, 27.

He added: “I need people who are keen to help bring the town’s unique brine heritage to the fore and work with other groups who work so hard to achieve this.”