Work to revive city’s waterfront will begin (From Worcester News)

Work to revive city’s waterfront will begin

9:00am Monday 25th August 2008 in

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ONE of Worcester’s most eagerly-anticipated regeneration projects starts this week when work gets underway on the city’s £1 million waterfront enhancement.

The first phase of Worcester City Council’s ambitious project to revive the waterside between the city bridge and Diglis will focus on the river Severn’s western bank.

The scheme will see a new path laid from the road bridge all the way down to Weir Lane, along with new seating and picnic tables and a wooden viewing platform with views across to the cathedral.

“I’m absolutely delighted work is finally getting underway,” said Simon Geraghty, the city’s Conservative leader.

“Improving the riverside has always been a key priority for this council because it’s such an underused asset.

“Despite the financial pressures we are under, this is something we’ve been determined to keep on track.

“It’s fantastic to be doing something for the long term that will improve the city for residents and visitors.”

As with the ongoing project to create a permanent flood defence beside Hylton Road, the scheme will involve the removal of a number of trees along the riverbank.

However, in this case the council says the trees along Bromwich Parade are “structurally poor and diseased”, and “are not only in severe decline but some are also considered to be a potential health-and-safety risk”.

An ecology specialist has been brought in to ensure the trees’ removal will not significantly affect the local wildlife.

Once the trees have been felled, construction work to lay a new easy-access path will begin.

The path will then be lined with additional seating and signage explaining the cultural, natural and social history of the site.

The city’s landscape architect Alison Vincent said: “The waterfront is currently an underused area of the city that has the potential to become a popular and beautiful venue for people to meet and socialise.

“The river is an important part of our heritage and it deserves to be admired and celebrated.”

Work on the western bank is expected to be completed early next year.

Attention will then turn to the eastern side, where major improvements will be made to the riverbank between the Quay fountain and the new development at Diglis.

The new riverside pathways will eventually link up with the foot and cycle bridge being built at Diglis through the Sustrans Connect2 lottery project.