FACE-TO-FACE interviews with Spa residents have helped community chiefs make improvements to the town.

Wychavon District Council held a walk-about session last year.

Senior councillors and officers spoke to shoppers and traders to identify views and issues affecting the town.

Action plans were drawn up and an information report for members of Wychavon's Community Safety Partnership featured some of the complaints received and progress made.

Residents called for soft landscaping at Salter's Shopping Centre and improvements to canopies.

The landscaping is now completed and new canopies should be in place by Easter.

Complaints that streetlights are never checked and are often out of order led to a special inspection. Broken lights were fixed and lights are checked fortnightly.

Officers reported lots of comments about the state of the Worcestershire Hotel.

The members' report states it is possible a planning application to develop the site into private apartments could be submitted to the authority.

Wychavon is backing a Discovering Droitwich Spa magazine and a town information guide, produced by the Droitwich Spa Advertiser, which promotes town services and will include a loyalty card scheme to encourage people to shop in the town centre.

Wychavon town centre officer Lew Hammond said: "The town walkabout was a tremendous success."

"It enabled me to learn about the town and how to help with improvements."