'Town centre improvement will require partnership'

8 December 2025

Joan Cumminsin Evesham

News image — Councillor Charlie Homer says there is only so much the council can do while buildings remain in private ownership

BBC Charlie Homer, a man with short, light brown hair and a stubbly beard, is wearing a light blue shirt and a wax coat. He is standing outdoors in the centre of a town. — Councillor Charlie Homer says there is only so much the council can do while buildings remain in private ownership

Overlooking the River Avon, Evesham's 1980s shopping centre, Riverside, has seemingly fallen out of fashion.

The centre is at the heart of negotiations between its private owner and the local authority, which is keen to demolish it and build something new.

Evesham is a town with a proud history, and locals remember it in its heyday. But the council says that while it is in private hands, there is only so much it can do.

"When the shopping centre opened, there were all lovely shops in there, but it never lasted five minutes," one woman said. "They say it's the worst shopping centre in the country."

Another commented: "At first it was alright, I think, but then different shops came in and they last for a bit and then – I don't know if they put the rates up, but that's what people were saying."

Wychavon District Council has promised to open up the town centre site, creating a mixed use destination, framed by parkland and a medieval bell tower.

With commercial talks ongoing, there has been a recognition that shopping habits have changed and town centres have to adapt.

The entrance to a shopping centre which features large glass doors and a stone archway. A sign above the door has white lettering indicating it it the Riverside shopping centre. — The council wants to redevelop the Riverside shopping complex

"The authority have been trying to do something for a really long time," said councillor Charlie Homer, from the council.

"The building is in private ownership, so there's only so much that we can do.

"Essentially what we want to do is demolish it. We want to actually start again."

He said councillors' inboxes were full of people who were disappointed when they came into the town.

"It's not something that represents our town in its best light and we want to make sure that we have something here that does," he said.

Phil Maclean, a man wearing a pale purple shirt and a dark-coloured suit. He is standing outdoors in front of a large Lego construction of an elephant. — Phil Maclean, director at The Valley retail park, says they are working with town centre firms to help boost trade

Elsewhere, more than 1.5 million people visit The Valley retail park on Evesham's outskirts every year.

"We attract people from further afield than town centres would normally do for the shopping element, so we're bringing in a far greater number of people to the area," said its director, Phil Maclean.

"We're working with the town, and as the town improves we're hoping that the town can benefit from the fact that we're bringing in so many extra people into the area," he said.

There was a belief that partnership would be the key to Evesham's success, with town centre businesses and out of town retailers working together to improve the overall offering.

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