Councillor Craig Reeves, who represents Harvington and Norton at Wychavon District Council as an independent, calls out the online pessimism which he says is undermining Evesham, suggesting people should work together for the good of the town.
By Coun Craig Reeves
Whilst buildings create space, it is people who MAKE a place.
Every town and village faces its challenges. What matters is how we respond, owning those challenges, working collaboratively, and being committed.
Too often, however, that spirit is drowned-out by a cycle of corrosive negativity.
Councillor Craig Reeves, who lives in Evesham with his young family. s
Sensationalism may grab attention, but it rarely serves the place it claims to represent. Over time, it does the opposite, undermining both the town and the wellbeing of those who live here.
Unconstructive criticism does far more damage to a community than any boarded-up building or neglected shopping arcade ever could.
Evesham has faced its share of physical challenges, but many are now being addressed through investment from Wychavon and the commitment of both long-standing and new businesses.
In truth, we face two challenges. The first is physical, as buildings that need investment and renewal. The second is cultural shifting from a narrative in certain quarters that too often defaults to failure – and replacing it with one of confidence and hope.
That narrative has become all too prominent online. While councils can acquire sites and begin the work of regeneration, changing how a place is perceived and how it feels to live here rests with the people themselves.
Local pride has taken a knock in recent years and you could argue ‘with merit’ as the town had fallen below the standard many felt acceptable, myself included. But rebuilding it is a shared task.
Because as the title of this column says – buildings can create a space, but it is us, the people that make it a place.
Evesham is thankfully evolving. After years of decline, under private ownership, the Riverside Shopping Centre – the anchor weighing heavy on our town centre, is now in public hands.
For the first time in a long while, there is genuine opportunity to reimagine this space. Yet even this has been met with scepticism and headline-driven pessimism.
There are, of course, valid frustrations. Constructive criticism and open debate are essential, they help drive progress. But at moments like this, when long-awaited regeneration is finally within reach, we face a crossroads. To continue trading in cynicism? Or raise our expectations and support the progress unfolding before us.
No town thrives or declines in isolation. Our surrounding villages and communities are deeply interconnected, relying on one another for amenities, employment and a shared sense of identity.
As a councillor representing Wychavon and villages north of Evesham, I see first-hand how the villages interweave with the town and how passionate villagers feel about its regeneration.
This, in part, is why I stood for election. I want to see where I live, thrive and be the best it can be, and to raise the bar.
It’s time to retell our story here in Evesham. I choose to own the challenges and promote pride in where I live.
It is time to bring people and place back together. To restore confidence. To rebuild pride. And to recognise that each of us has a role to play in shaping the story of our town.
