In this month’s column of Civic Matters, Gill Pawson, chair of the Vale of Evesham Civic Society talks about her anticipation of the long-expected announcement concerning the Riverside Shopping Centre.
By Gill Pawson
VALE of Evesham Civic Society, together with most of the residents of the town, is eagerly looking forward to an announcement about the future of that hotly-debated topic and bane of Evesham – Riverside Shopping Centre.
Wychavon District Council made it known that it is in negotiations with the current owner Patrick Kelly of PJK Investments, to buy the centre, together with his interests in all of his other property in the town centre. These include the Public Hall, the Town Hall and commercial units in Market Square.
We have been following, with considerable interest, the fortunes of this part of town, since 2018 when publicity was given to sketches of a possible redevelopment package. Even then it had become clear that changes in shopping habits were having an impact on town centre units.
Covid lockdowns pushed more and more of us to use the internet, which now supplies many of our purchases. The ease of parking at out-of-town centres and their increasing range of shops means that shopping centres like the Riverside get less and less footfall, so units close and running it is no longer profitable.
The disgraceful state of the inside of the Riverside Centre has brought much criticism and complaint from locals and visitors alike. Offers were made to clean inside the building, to at least make the walk from Bridge Street through to Market Square free of litter and pigeon droppings, but the owner would not allow access.
The Public Hall has planning permission to be repaired and brought back into use as a performance venue, but no money will be spent on it until the current owner relinquishes his legal interest in it.
Meanwhile, the building continues to deteriorate. Essential repairs to the Town Hall are unlikely to be carried out until it is firmly back in the town council’s control, so water continues to leak through the roof.
It is clear that there is so much more at stake here than the run-down shopping centre. The whole town is suffering. It is this wider impact that has persuaded Wychavon District Council to get involved in purchasing the centre.
We look forward to being consulted on plans from a new developer, to regenerate the site and dramatically change the relationship between the town centre, our historic streets with Abbey Park, and the riverside.
We also trust that the local councils will have learnt lessons from this situation and in the future not sell off legal interests in our public buildings.
On a positive note, it is pleasing that our most iconic building, the Grade I-listed Almonry, is about to embark on a much-needed renovation project.
