PROPOSED plans to redevelop the ex-Baxenden site, off Union Lane, to help attract more people to the Spa have been revealed.
Droitwich Spa Civic Society (DSCS) has come up with comprehensive proposals to revitalise the town after being asked to by the town council.
The group hopes to get outline planning permission before an application from a developer is accepted so residents can have their say on what is built.
The proposal includes a bigger car park for the railway station, a footbridge and walkway over the Saltway into the town centre and a viewing area over Vines Park as well as housing, green and recreational areas.
George Leech, the DSCS’s chairman, said the plans had been presented to the town council and parliamentary candidates, asking to support them so they could be included in the neighbourhood plan.
He added the new walkway and footbridge would make a more pleasing and attractive route for visitors going to the town centre and the footbridge would be beneficial because some people were wary of using the underpass.
He said there was also evidence of a Roman mural and mosaic of some significance on the site so hoped the redevelopment would make way for it to become an attraction for visitors.
“It is not a set plan, it is just a suggestion of the type of development we would like.” Mr Leech said.
“We are trying to revitalise the town centre – this will be a good way and it will be within easy walking distance.
“We hope it will bring more people into the town by getting them living nearby – commercially this would be better than the buildings on the outside of the town which are an equal distance between the town centre and Worcester.
“By having it in the neighbourhood plan, it will give people the opportunity to have a say together with the town council on what goes where – so it will be what the people of Droitwich want rather than the prospective developers.”
Mr Leech said an extremely talented team had put in a lot of hard work and thought.
“Local people and councils can only react to what others propose.
“We feel local people and representatives should have a greater influence.”
An issue for the society’s proposals is a probable chemical contamination of the site and the implications for housing.
The society has asked for a site soil survey to check contamination levels as soon as possible before official proposals are developed.
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