THESE shocking photos show our beautiful but decaying city centre is turning into ‘a slum’ as we launch an urgent campaign to bring it back to its best.
The Worcester News today launches a campaign to clean up, repair and restore civic pride in the city, blighted by graffiti grot spots, weeds, dirt, litter, crumbling buildings and derelict shops.
Our photos show the mammoth task ahead as councils and businesses are urged to work together to save our city – cleaning, maintaining and repairing the heart of Worcester so it can once again be a city residents are proud to call home, and people want to visit.
DERELICT: Broken windows at the empty former Co-op in Angel Street in Worcester (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)
View of Worcester Civic Society
Phil Douce, now president of Worcester Civic Society and former chairman for 11 years, said Angel Street was a particular eyesore, including the empty former Co-op and the vacant Cricketers pub.
However, the heritage champion pointed out multiple examples of poor maintenance, dirt and disrepair, across the city, in The Cross, the High Street, Pump Street and The Shambles.
MESS: Phil Douce, president of Worcester Civic Society, outside the empty former Co-op in Angel Street in Worcester city centre (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)
The empty Co-op in Angel Street is now daubed in graffiti, with broken windows and traffic cones thrown on the roof. Mr Douce said the derelict Cricketers pub next door was ‘just as bad’. Yet, for many visitors, it is their first impression of the city as they arrive from the bus station, he said.
These eyesore buildings are opposite the Scala Theatre at the centre of a £16.2 million regeneration project. Mr Douce believes this only emphasises the need for urgent improvements to neighbouring buildings.
The aim is to transform the historic 1922 former cinema in Angel Place into a vibrant, state-of-the-art arts and entertainment centre, part of a larger £26 million northern gateway scheme.
MESS: Graffiti in an alleyway off Worcester High Street (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)
Mr Douce counted at least 19 empty shops in the city centre, although the official figures show 50 vacant premises, including the former Debenhams, House of Fraser and Argos.
However, there are green shoots with Debenhams, which closed in January 2021, set to become a 63-bedroom hotel run by Kula.
A scheme called ‘Royal Court’ would see the demolition of the empty former Co-op supermarket in Angel Street. The demolished buildings would be replaced with modern homes, inspired by the city’s heritage, a scheme developers say they hope will be approved very soon.
Mr Douce stressed that he believes Worcester is a beautiful city but laments the poor state into which it has now fallen.
GRAFFITI: Church Street in Worcester has several graffiti tags (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)
He said: “It’s absolutely disgusting. I hadn’t realised quite how bad it was. These buildings are all up for sale. They’re owned by somebody. But nobody is enforcing that the owners should maintain them. I know people are struggling to sell them.
“People come to the city to look around. They don’t want to see that opposite the Scala. If they open the Scala with that lot facing them, it will be awful.”
HISTORIC: Pump Street is besieged by weeds on the rooftops (Image: James Connell/Newsquesy)
“I think they should be forced to keep the buildings in some form of reasonable state. They’re trying to sell them, I presume. Would you buy that? The owners must be forced to maintain them, even if it’s just cleaning. At the minute, Worcester is nothing more than a slum.”
What Worcester’s MP says about state of city
Worcester’s MP Tom Collins said: “Worcester’s city centre is incredibly special – very few places in the UK can compare with our mixture of history, nature, independent businesses, hospitality, retail and public services – and we have done incredibly well in riding out the storm of recent years.
MESSAGE: Worcester MP Tom Collins says Worcester is ‘incredibly special’ but businesses are under ‘immense pressure’ (Image: Supplied)
“But I’m also deeply aware of the immense pressure, stress and challenges that our city centre businesses are still facing. I’ve been meeting with local businesses and, in particular, working to see them better supported locally.
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“We have plenty of room for improvement in backing our local businesses and I am keen to keep bring people together to get things working for them more effectively. I’m also leading projects to improve our city centre bus services – especially in evenings and at weekends – and driving a stronger partnership in addressing rough sleeping.
EMPTY: The former Argos store in The Shambles in Worcester (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)
“We could see our city centre developing as a space that is packed with thriving businesses, filled with beauty, creativity and fun, and a space that all of us can regularly enjoy and where we feel we belong. The city centre belongs to all of us, and I really want local people to have a chance to shape it. I’m also very proud of all the work that has gone into the new Scala performing arts centre and I can’t wait to see it open!”
Worcester City Council on empty shops and cleanliness
A Worcester City Council spokesperson said: “The percentage of empty retail units in the city centre equates to under 10 per cent and this is below the UK average retail vacancy rate.
“In recent years the City Council has been successful in securing Government funding to make significant investment in the city which has brought underused buildings back into use.
“There are some great opportunities for investments in Worcester city centre and the City Council always welcomes conversations with owners and potential investors.
CRACKED: A crack in a building in The Cross in Worcester (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)
“The City Council has a dedicated team of staff who work hard to keep the city clean and welcoming for residents and visitors.
“We are also introducing a new piece of street cleaning equipment to assist in our cleaning operations.
“We welcome people to help us by reporting any dropped litter or graffiti at www.worcester.gov.uk/report-it.”
A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council said: “Our town and city centres are inspected on a monthly basis, and we are working alongside Worcester City Council to develop a scheme to improve the paving of the footway in the High Street, which will also see bollards re-spaced.”