A ‘Town Centre First’ Vision for the Worcestershire Parkway New Settlement
Strategic land promoter Summix Partners controls over half of the land required to deliver the proposed new settlement around Worcestershire Parkway railway station.
The site is a draft allocation in South Worcestershire Councils (SWCs) South Worcestershire Development Plan Review (SWDPR) for up to 10,000 homes with 5,000 to be delivered by 2041. The Council’s Vision is for a high quality, sustainable development based on Garden Community principles, with the intention to bring forward the Town Centre First.
Summix will help to deliver this vision. The first phase includes the creation of a new town centre adjoining the station alongside well-connected residential neighbourhoods. This approach will help forge a new community with a strong sense of identity from the very beginning.
Our proposals will benefit from a two-stage public consultation process ahead of an outline planning application being submitted in Spring 2024. The team aims to start on site once the Local Plan is adopted and planning permission is granted.
Please complete our Feedback Form to inform these Town Centre First proposals.
Site Location
The land controlled by Summix extends from the Birmingham-Bristol line in the west to the A44 in the east and south of the Worcester-Oxford line towards Stoulton and Wadborough Road.
This land comprises the new town centre, an Eastern Neighbourhood (which is envisaged to be delivered after 2041) and much of a Southern Neighbourhood. As well as the town centre, it will include a Community Park to serve new and existing communities, a linking road between the town centre and the A44, and a landscape buffer around the existing village of Stoulton.
Site location plan (illustrative sketch) - click to enlarge
Masterplan
Adopting a ‘Town Centre First’ approach, our vision is to create a sustainable new Garden Community for South Worcestershire with a vibrant, appealing, and characterful town centre at its heart.
Our project team is developing the proposals to show how the town centre can evolve to serve the growing new settlement, including the location of new homes in and around the centre, primary and secondary schools, parks, greenspaces and other community facilities.
Masterplan (illustrative sketch) - click to enlarge
What do we mean by Town Centre First?
At the heart of any successful place is a centre that provides a sense of identity, helps define its character, and includes the services and facilities that will establish a genuine sense of community.
The town centre will develop and grow in step with the influx of new families and people working in the area. In the process, it will also serve railway station users and existing residents from nearby villages.
The town centre will develop to the east of the B4084, with a new High Street leading to a Market Square, characterised by civic buildings and a primary school. Shops and other community facilities, including healthcare provision, will anchor around vibrant new public spaces. The first stage of the linking road will form a ‘Town Cross’ providing public transport access and serving a new secondary school to the north.
New housing will be developed in street blocks around the town centre, giving new residents easy walking access to its facilities. Good active travel connections will also provide attractive access to homes in the Western and Southern Neighbourhoods.
Town Centre plan (illustrative sketch) - click to enlarge
Illustration of a landscape-led town centre
Green open spaces and community park
The overall development is taking a landscape-led approach to integration of the built and natural environments.
Use of existing natural features and the existing landscape will create high quality connections between the new neighbourhoods.
Over 40% of the new settlement will be green open spaces with a large community park to the east of Mucknell Abbey.
Biodiversity and attractive public spaces will be fundamental to our town centre
Connectivity
Creating a network of green open spaces connecting the town centre with new and existing residential neighbourhoods will enable pedestrians, cyclists, and equestrians to walk, cycle, and ride safely wherever they want without conflicting with cars
Active travel will be enabled by a series of mobility hubs, with support for additional public transport services. Existing highway infrastructure will be supplemented with a new linking road between the station and the A44 via the new town centre. Improvements will also be made to existing junctions.
Worcestershire Parkway train station
Green Infrastructure and Connectivity - click to enlarge
To find out more and hear from the project team, you can:
Watch the public webinar that was held on Tuesday 17th October. A recording of the webinar is available to view here.
Or email the project team at info@wptowncentrefirst.co.uk
Two in person consultation events have also taken place. The first was held on Thursday 19th October from 2pm to 8pm at Norton Parish Hall, Wadborough Rd, Norton, Littleworth, Worcester WR5 2QB. And the second took place on Saturday 4th November from 12pm to 5pm in Drakes Broughton Village Hall, Walcot Lane, Drakes Broughton, Pershore, WR10 2AJ.
You can sign up below to register for updates on the project and to receive information about the next round of public consultation, which will take place in Spring 2024 ahead of a planning application being submitted to Wychavon District Council.
During this second round of public consultation, we will demonstrate how the feedback you are providing now has helped to inform the designs and masterplan. We will also take the opportunity to gather further feedback before finalising our plans and submitting a planning application to the Council.
Find out more
Sign up to register for updates on this project
GDPR Statement
The information you provide will be used only for the purposes of keeping you informed and for understanding public opinion on the project. It will be stored securely until completion of the project, after which this information will be deleted. Your information will only be shared with third parties for the express purpose of keeping you informed of the proposals, and with Turley and/or the relevant local authority where there is a legal obligation to do so. It will not be forwarded on to any other third parties. You can contact us at any time to request the deletion of your information. Please contact us at info@wptowncentrefirst.co.uk