Improvements made to Worcester City Centre

Worcestershire Highways, a partnership between Ringway and Worcestershire County Council, have been carrying out improvements to regenerate Worcester City Centre.

Angel Place, the old Worcester City Centre market place, is the latest to receive an upgrade.

Jointly funded by Worcestershire County Council, Worcester City Council and the owners of Crown Gate shopping centre, Crown Estates, the scheme was designed and delivered ‘in-house’ by the Worcestershire Highways team.

The redevelopment of Worcester’s daily market was unveiled last year by the council with the aim to improve pedestrian access by moving the market stalls into the middle of the street and planting trees along the route.

The works involved the demolition and removal of steel street market stalls, the removal of all surface finishes and the use of a combination of slabs, setts, linear drainage channels and Mastertint surfacing.

This combination of the finishes is already used in Worcester City High Street. The existing setts and drainage channels were salvaged, refurbished and re-used in the new scheme.

The scheme started in September 2014, with a requirement to be completed by late November in order to accommodate the traditional Worcester Victorian Christmas Fair.

David Rowley. Ringway regional director, said: “Due to a combination of good weather and working closely in partnership, the scheme was completed two weeks ahead of schedule and within budget. By using flexible working patterns and by employing a full-time public liaison officer, we were able to maintain excellent relationships with the local businesses and ensure disruption to trade was kept to a minimum.”