A CAMPAIGN group hoping to return the famous brine baths to Droitwich is taking ‘huge strides’ towards putting the ‘Spa’ back in the town.
Save Our Brine Baths (SOBBs) has now become a registered Community Interest Company (CIC) and submitted a planning application to Wychavon District Council.
CICs are designed for social enterprises which want to use their profits and assets for the public good.
The move will enable the action group to apply for large-scale funding as well as approach bodies such as the Heritage Lottery Fund once outline planning permission has been granted for the site.
The development was endorsed by Liz Eyre, chairman of Wychavon District Council, who said it was a wise move.
“It’s a challenging project and a more formal foundation should reap benefits as it moves forward with this exciting new project.”
Brine was back on the agenda last year with the successful commercial launch of Droitwich salt and the Wychbold Salted Fudge, as well as the brine pump being being turned on.
Bill Moy, Chair of the previous SOBBs campaign group and one of five directors of the new CIC, said: “This was absolutely the right thing to do at this time.
“Parallel to progressing our outline planning application with Wychavon District Council, we need to put the formal structures in place that demonstrate to funding organisations, the relevant council bodies and the community at large that we are serious about reinstating brine bathing for therapeutic and leisure purposes in Droitwich.
“In 2018 we will need to apply for funding to draw up the detailed architectural, ecological and construction plans, and both funding bodies and professional organisations will want reassurance that they are dealing with a serious community enterprise that has proper governance.
“At all our traditional festivals, such as St Richard’s Festival and the Salt Fest – but also at the hugely popular Picnic in the Park in
June – Droitwich residents told us of their backing for reintroducing the brine baths to Droitwich.
“We believe 2018 will show us taking huge strides towards putting the Spa back in Droitwich and the formation of the CIC will be the first milestone of many this year.”
