'We won't be fobbed off' over facelift say Tenbury residents (From Ludlow Advertiser)

'We won't be fobbed off' over facelift say Tenbury residents

8:32am Thursday 24th May 2012 in News By Adrian Kibbler

CONCERN is growing about a scheme to provide Tenbury town centre with a major facelift.

Work on improving the street scene has been put back at least a year as Worcestershire County Council budgets are squeezed.

The news comes together with the realisation that further major disruption to the town centre will occur in the autumn when a main sewer is repaired.

But Tenbury Town Council is determined to resist any moves to downgrade the scheme to improve the street scene – that will determine how Tenbury looks for the next 60 years.

“A certain amount of money has been found by the county council to improve the streets, pavements, street furniture and lighting for Tenbury – but possibly not enough to fulfil the dreams and aspirations of the Public Realm Committee which has worked tirelessly to get the best scheme for the town,” said outgoing mayor Elizabeth Weston.

“We shall not be fobbed off with second best materials.

“But before the work on the street and pavement can proceed, the main sewer in Teme Street needs to be repaired. This will mean more disruption, but not closure, and again timing will be essential if the town is not to suffer unduly.”

She said that Tenbury had unique buildings such as the Regal Cinema, the Pump Rooms, the Round House and St Mary’s Church that helped make the town attractive to visitors.

But she added that the improvements planned as part of the street scene, including new pavements, were important to add to the experience of shoppers.

Former mayor Richard Jones, who was recently co-opted back on to the town council a year after stepping down, is also concerned about the scheme.

He said it was very important that inferior quality materials were not used in order to save money because the work would shape how Tenbury looked for the next 60 years.

Ken Pollock, who represents Tenbury on the county council, told the annual town meeting that the delay was frustrating but he remained hopeful about the future and said that money, as part of the planning agreement with Tesco, would be available.

Work on the improvements to the street scene had originally been expected to start later this year but it is now likely to be the autumn of next year.

Coun Pollock said he expected the Tesco Supermarket on the former cattle market site to be open for Christmas 2013.