Worcester City Council’s plans on how to spend a £1.78 million cash surplus include £50,000 for hosting the Olympic Torch next year.

As previously reported, budget reductions, redundancies and internal restructuring resulted in Worcester City Council ending last financial year with money left over.

About £250,000 has been swallowed up by increasing the general fund balance and transferring money to other reserves, leaving £1.55 million. Of this, £800,000 has been allocated to regeneration initiatives with £250,000 going to Fort Royal Park.

At a recent cabinet meeting, Labour councillor Joy Squires questioned whether Worcester people actually wanted the work to be done.

Coun Simon Geraghty said: “It was part of the Conservative manifesto on which we were elected.”

Coun Francis Lankester added: “As a civil war enthusiast I will open fire on anyone who questions spending money at Fort Royal Park.”

A total of £50,000 has been allocated to spend on hosting the Olympic Torch. The council does not have to pay for policing as all Olympic events are funded directly by the Government.

Coun Roger Knight said he was looking forward to it.“There is very little detail about what’s going to happen in Worcester but it is very exciting,” he said. “The torch will be staying overnight not just passing through. I think this is going to be something really big.”

More than £200,000 will be spent on improving the north riverside with better paths and new signage, £100,000 will go towards improving the High Street leading up to the Cathedral roundabout and developing the Cornmarket area. The same amount has been allocated to improving Angel Place.

A total of £30,000 has been set aside to spend on resident parking schemes but Coun Geraghty said there were no plans to introduce any at the moment.

He said: “We are not going to force people to pay to park outside their own homes unless there is a majority for that to happen.”