RIVERSIDE Shopping Centre in Evesham could be set for regeneration as talks between key players look promising.
Wychavon District Council has confirmed negotiations with current owners and investment partners are progressing. If successful, the building will be brought into public ownership and demolished before being redeveloped.
Councillor Chris Day, leader of Wychavon District Council, said: “We have a commitment to redevelop the Riverside Shopping Centre by March 2028, and we’re making good progress on that promise.”
The leader explained there is no timeline for a deal as yet, with ‘a lot of hurdles to get over’, however a deal is ‘closer than it has ever been.’
The Evesham Town Centre Investment Prospectus, published in 2022, identified the Riverside Shopping Centre redevelopment as a site with the potential to spark the wider regeneration of the town centre.
It proposes creating a mixed residential, retail and leisure development while linking the town centre, Abbey Park, The Bell Tower, Almonry Museum, Market Square and Public Hall.
Wychavon is also considering legal options to make sure the Riverside Shopping Centre is properly maintained after complaints from residents about the centre’s condition.
Coun Day added: “It’s a complex building in a conservation area. It will need to be demolished and a development partner appointed.
“At the same time, we must make sure what we are doing is value for money and is the right thing for Evesham.
“It’s obvious the Riverside Shopping Centre has fallen into an unacceptable condition and the blame for that sits solely with the current owner.
“We have tried getting the owner and their agents to take action on this issue. While improvements have been made occasionally, it falls far short of what’s needed.
“That’s why I have now asked officers to look at our legal options to ensure the site is regularly and properly maintained while work on a longer-term solution continues.”
