The West Midlands Investment Helping Worcester to Develop for the Future
Aerial view from Worcester Cathedral
Worcester is a city steeped in history, but recent public and private sector investment is creating opportunities for future development.
Worcester is the county town and largest settlement in Worcestershire, with a population of 103,600. The city is a significant sub-regional hub supporting 53,000 employees. The highest sectors of employment are professional services, health, wholesale and retail and education.
Worcester is home to the famous Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce which has been manufactured in the city since 1837; the headquarters of Worcester Bosch; the European headquarters for Yamazaki Mazak; and G-Tech whose founder developed the world’s first cordless power sweeper.
The central location of Worcester and proximity to the M5 means good connections to the other major conurbations in the West Midlands and Cheltenham, Gloucester and Bristol to the south. Worcester is 40 miles from Birmingham airport and with three railway stations it is easy to reach London and other major cities by train.
Employment land is spread geographically across the city and varies in size, the largest being Shire Business Park next to the M5. Close by is the new Worcester Six business park offering 2million sq. ft of development land for bespoke design and built units.
In recent years Worcester has successfully secured millions of pounds of investment. A fundamental part of this success is the city centre masterplan which sets the visions and framework until 2040. Based on the development of four distinct city districts, the proposals have the potential to produce additional £385m GVA; create 8,610 jobs; and over 3,000 new homes.
The £150million Sherriff Gate development close to Shrub Hill station is already underway. This scheme by Worcester-based Sherriff Gate Developments, will see the transformation of 900,000sq ft of derelict land into 40,000 sq ft. of commercial and retail space, apartments, a hotel and leisure facilities.
The northern area of the city centre is undergoing major regeneration with £17.9m support from the Future High Streets Fund. A comprehensive programme of public realm improvements and enhancement of vacant retail premises has started. The next phase is the renovation of the historic Scala Theatre into a state-of-the-art arts centre. The scheme, which finishes in 2024, will see this area of the city transformed into a vibrant urban neighbourhood with new shops, cafes, restaurants, bars, housing and office space.
Theatre and Angel Place Market
Further investment of almost £20m in Worcester has come from the Government’s Towns Fund. The funding will support an ambitious range of projects as part of the Town Investment Plan: • New skills and training facilities
• New health education facilities at the University of Worcester • Shrub Hill regeneration for new housing and commercial space, public realm and an Enterprise and Innovation centre • Development of heritage and riverside tourism attractions • New cycling and walking routes to encourage active travel
To find out more about what Worcester can offer your business, contact the Economic Development team at Worcester City Council. Website:
www.worcester.gov.uk/business Email:
economy@worcester.gov.uk
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson building. Credit: University of Worcester. COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MONTHLY 2023 65
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