Council continues to develop the Lion Fields area of Kidderminster

Final proposals to complete the regeneration of a prime development site in Kidderminster town centre will be discussed by Wyre Forest District Council’s Cabinet in July.

Cabinet will meet on Tuesday 17 July to discuss options for the final part of the council’s flagship Lion Fields site.

In 2016 the council adopted a Development Framework for the area to the east of Kidderminster town centre, branded Lion Fields, which covered the area between the ringroad and Worcester Street including the former Glades Leisure Centre site and the former magistrates’ courts.

Both of those sites have development proposals in train and this new report considers the remaining area of the Bromsgrove Street car park.

Councillor Ian Hardiman, Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration said:“The council made a commitment back in 2016 to regenerate this eastern part of the town when the former Glades Leisure Centre closed and we have plans in place now for the redevelopment of that site and the vacant magistrates’ court site; we now need to decide on the future of the Bromsgrove Street car park area.

“This is a particularly complex part of the Lion Fields site and we want to make sure that we maximise any opportunity to see the site redeveloped and to better connect the whole Lion Fields site back into the town centre. The report we are considering in July will kick off the thinking and we’ll develop some options for Cabinet to consider at a later date.”

The report to Cabinet for its meeting on Tuesday 17 July sets out progress to date on key elements of the former leisure centre site, former magistrates’ court site and Worcester Street public realm and proposes that further work is undertaken to consider matters such as connectivity to Worcester Street, the need for affordable housing and how much public car parking is required. It is anticipated that a report will be made back to Cabinet in November.