AN ANNOUNCEMENT on the future of the Riverside Shopping Centre is expected in the new year, according to the deputy leader of Wychavon District Council.
Councillor Emma Kearsey (Broadway, Sedgeberrow and Childswickham) told the executive board of the council last month that they were nearing the end of negotiations to bring the controversial development in Evesham town centre back into public ownership.
In May this year, Wychavon District Council had announced it had an ‘agreement in principle’ from a funder to enable it to buy the Riverside Centre before the end of the year with completion in March 2026.
Crucially, the deal would also see the authority take on the ownership of other key town centre properties within the portfolio of Riverside’s owner, namely the Public and Town Halls plus additional retail properties around Market Square.
The dilapidated state of these three buildings has been an ongoing source of public outrage with the Riverside Centre – a near derelict site of some 40 empty retail units – described as ‘Britain’s saddest shopping centre’ by a national newspaper last December.
The centre which is privately owned by PJK Investments of Henley is also plagued with pigeons, bird mess and there have been continual complaints of the smell of urine.
“We expect these to be concluded over the coming weeks and will share more details, including the indicative timeline for redevelopment, with the public in the new year.
“Once in public ownership this will bring transformational change for Evesham, not only for the town centre, but for the surrounding areas and villages as well,” Coun Kearsey told her fellow councillors on November 19.
An announcement had been keenly anticipated this autumn so the imminent news of a deal could not come sooner for Gill Pawson, chair of Vale of Evesham Civic Society.
She said: “Let us hope that this is not another false dawn and that 2026 brings the positive news that we have been waiting for so we can turn the page on this sorry chapter.
“The town needs action now.”
