A MISSED walking route across a picturesque nature reserve is set to return at a cost of £225,000.
Work to replace and upgrade the Avon Meadows Boardwalk in Pershore is set to begin imminently after Wychavon District Council agreed to fund the project earlier this week.
The route has been closed since September 2025 after the boardwalk, made from recycled plastic, was deemed unsafe due to flooding and heat damage.
Councillor Beverley Hardman, executive board member for environment at Wychavon District Council, said: “I’m delighted we’re making this additional investment in Pershore’s Avon Meadows.
“This will support the work of the Friends of Avon Meadows, who help care for the site and its wildlife, and whose efforts we are grateful for.
“The upgraded boardwalk will not only restore a key route residents tell us they have much missed but will also improve the site’s accessibility so even more people can access the wetlands and the health benefits of being close to nature.”
Avon Meadows Boardwalk before it was closed in September 2025 (Image: Wychavon District Council)
The new boardwalk will be built using a timber-and-steel design that better withstands flooding and other extreme weather events.
It will also be wider to accommodate wheelchairs, mobility scooters, pushchairs, and prams.
Access gates around the site will be upgraded to further improve accessibility.
Construction is expected to begin in the coming weeks, with the aim of completing the project by October.
However, if work cannot be finished by then, it will continue in stages, as the ground is often waterlogged or underwater during other parts of the year.
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Councillor Dan Boatright-Greene has welcomed the news.
He said: “The team has been working really hard on this one.
“It’s been a tough one because it’s a sensitive area for any building.
“Access was really important to us because some people really struggled to open the kissing gates, especially people in mobility scooters.
“There will also be two new benches and passing points, which is really exciting, and will make things a bit easier.
“It feels like it’s been closed for more than a year.
“It’s one of those things that you don’t miss until it’s gone.
“The value is not seen until you don’t have it.
“I used to use it twice a week myself.
“It’s a really pleasant way to walk into the town centre.
“It’s not just used by dog walkers either; lots of people use it to commute, and they very quickly realised how important it was.
“We have to get it in place as quickly as possible.”
Once completed, the new boardwalk will restore a popular green route linking the town centre with nearby housing, Pershore High School, the railway station, and local employment sites.