Stourport-on-Severn: A vision for the future

We all have views on Stourport and what it offers.

Some people like it the way it is. Others feel that the town has not adapted well to changing times; others feel that there is major potential that we need to grasp.

Meanwhile, our lifestyles, the way we work, our leisure time and our shopping habits are changing. There are changing opportunities for economic growth and job creation, and the potential to increase the prosperity of Stourport and it's people.

To secure Stourport's future as a historic town that is an enticing and popular centre for residents, businesses and visitors, it is essential to set out a vision for its future.

In full consultation with our residents, visitors and businesses an aspirational vision is needed which aims to:

• Make better use of the town’s extensive heritage and cultural base.
• Better serve all demographics and enrich the lives of residents, visitors and businesses.
• Provide clear objectives to guide investment into the town, so that all current and future development proposals, policies, strategies, ideas and opportunities have due regard as to how they might relate to each other, to the wider town and to adjoining areas.

Our town has evolved over time and we now need to consider how the town moves forward over the next decade and longer.

Wyre Forest District Council (WFDC) acknowledged the need for regeneration of the town and committed to change as captured in their Corporate Plan:

• Progress the redevelopment of Bridge Street site, Stourport.
• Work with High Streets Task Force to develop and implement a vision for the regeneration of central Stourport.

Stourport Town Council was visited by the National High Street Task Force who provided expert advice on improving the high street offering.

This vision, shaped by thorough research and consultation, will guide Stourport’s future development:

• Captures a long term vision that sets out priorities, aspirations and ambitions over a long period together with interventions deliverable in the short to medium term.
• Setting a framework to protect the town’s heritage, enhance its vitality, and attract investment.
• Encouraging local authorities and organisations - the town council, Wyre Forest District Council, Worcestershire County Council (WCC), future unitary authority - to think differently, embrace opportunities, and adapt to change and provides content for future WFDC local plans and WCC transport plans.

Our vision for Stourport-on-Severn

“We want Stourport to be a vibrant, attractive and tranquil town with something for everyone including offering a wide range of leisure activities open to all.”

This means...

• Being a vibrant, attractive and tranquil town, welcoming to residents, visitors and businesses.
• Being distinctive, successful and recognised as a place to visit with something for everyone.
• Being a place of choice for high quality home working and commuters.
• Being true to our town's heritage to be a great visitor destination in the West Midlands.
• Being the best Stourport-on-Severn that it can be.

Stourport is growing - adapting for the future

The revised Wyre Forest district plan is for 584 houses to be built each year. This will mean more housing in Stourport-on-Severn and more people in the town.

Some of the challenges to face as we adapt for the future:

• Demand for new local services and activities to better serve all demographics.
• Increasing traffic congestion, with resultant air pollution and parking pressures.
• Competition from online shopping, out-of-town retail parks and neighbouring retail centres that reduces interest in our high street shops.
• Protection, enhancement and promotion of the town’s heritage and culture .
• The need to create new and higher paid jobs locally.
• Demand for new housing and affordable housing.
• Ageing population but one that wants to stay fit, active, healthy and involved into later life.
• Local government reorganisation.

Our town today

Our town has a rich heritage and extensive waterways with canals and two rivers: the Stour and the Severn. It is much loved for its picturesque landscapes and natural beauty. The waterways and parks offer serene settings for both residents and visitors.

We have a wide range of leisure activities including cricket, rowing, rugby, football, hockey, cycling, mountain biking, athletics.

Our town has a strong sense of community known for friendliness, cooperation with a wide range active of local interest groups.

Our town: identity

Stourport-on-Severn’s identity is deeply rooted in its rich history. The town's development has been significantly influenced by its waterways, particularly the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and was an inland port.

Established in the late 18th century, the canal played a crucial role in the industrial revolution, facilitating trade and transportation. Stourport has been a thriving centre for commerce with warehouses, docks, and boat building.

Stourport-on-Severn, like many Midlands towns, once boasted a strong industrial base and was home to several major, often pioneering, industries.

These include Baldwin's Foundry, Parsons Chain, Sarsons Vinegar, the Tannery, Power Station and Bond Worth Carpets. Parsons Chain and Bond Worth Carpets were both world leaders in the 20th century.

Today, its canal basin and riverside attractions celebrate its rich industrial heritage and picturesque scenery.

Community spirit

The sense of community in Stourport-on-Severn is a defining characteristic of the town's identity. Residents are known for their friendliness, cooperation, and active participation in community life.

Stourport-on-Severn also has a very strong musical tradition which has an important and very positive aspect of the town.

Our extended community

As well as tourists, there are many people who live on boats or spend their lives on or around the waterways. Though not large in numbers, these people enrich the local culture and economy.

Stourport-on-Severn has traditionally been the “go to” town for large numbers of visitors from Birmingham and the Black Country.

Our town today - demographics

A key part of Stourport’s identity comes from the nature of the people who live here and also those who visit.

There are some key factors: ​

• Older population – Stourport-on-Severn has been a location of choice for very active people entering their retirement. Wyre Forest has an older than average population with 28% over 65 years.
• Influx of families from outside of the area bringing new people, ideas and energy. Their social investment in the area is key to their integration and a true feeling of being connected.
• Commuter employment has become a recent phenomenon, with over half of working people in Stourport-on-Severn travelling more than 10 miles to work.
• Young people feeling excluded. At a time when young people are more important than ever to the future of our town, they need to feel more connected with our community.

Our place in Wyre Forest / Worcestershire

Stourport-on-Severn is one of 3 market towns that make up the Wyre Forest district.

It is in close proximity to Kidderminster and Bewdley and just 12 miles from the county city of Worcester.

Close to national tourist attractions of West Midlands Safari Park and Severn Valley Railway.

The nearest train stations are Kidderminster (5 miles) and Hartlebury (2 miles).

How we produced this vision

The proposals in this vision have been shaped by full public consultation including the online survey, facilitated participation workshops attended by representatives of business organisations, reviews of previous plans and strategies.

Our online survey had over 1200 responses and 12,000 comments.

As we move forward, we will continue to engage with the public as well as key local groups to ensure that the vision is right and remains valid and also to enlist help in delivering the vision.

While some opinions on the town’s needs may appear incompatible — such as boosting tourism versus reducing congestion — the vision seeks to unify these ideas within a framework for balanced progress.

The key responses from the survey is captured and summarised on the following pages.

What you told us

What did people think was unique about Stourport-on-Severn?

• The river and canals: The presence of the River Severn, canals, and basins is a distinctive feature of Stourport-on-Severn.
• The fair: The fair is frequently mentioned as a unique and fun attraction in Stourport-on-Severn.
• Parks and green spaces: Stourport-on-Severn’s parks and green spaces are valued by residents.
• Community spirit: The sense of community and friendliness amongst residents is highlighted.
• Local pubs and shops: The variety of local pubs and shops is appreciated.
• Historical significance: The town's history and heritage are important to residents.

What did people say were the worst things about Stourport-on-Severn?

The top responses to what you said you didn’t like about the town were:

• Traffic and infrastructure
• Housing development
• Lack of variety in shops
• Anti-social behaviour and crime
• Public services and facilities
• Environment and cleanliness

“Absolutely diabolical traffic over the bridge.”

“Poor traffic flow through the town especially summer months and weekends, puts me off coming into town.”

“Stop the building on green belt. More social housing in towns NOT outside.”

“Keep housing to brownfield sites, preserve historical buildings and have a local history point.”

“Town centre and bridge st needs a facelift, too many takeaways, hairdressers, barbers and charity shops, not enough decent variety of shops .”

“Visiting town is pretty depressing, if there was more there I’d go more often.”

“I would like more police presence in the evening to deal with car crime, speeding and antisocial driving.”

“Clamp down on anti social behaviour in the weekend evenings - broken windows and endless litter as well as possible fights.“

“There is a desperate need for changing places.”

“Another set of toilets at the upper end of town as there is only one facility which accommodates the whole town currently.”

“The town has sadly deteriorated over recent years, more needs to be down to regenerate the dilapidated state of some of the shop frontages.”

“The town is run down and looks dirty, what a shame it could be beautiful.”

What did people say was most important about the town?

"Change the message: Stourport is fabulous, let’s tell people that!"

"Don’t let us lose any more old buildings."

• Safety and security: Feeling safe and secure is a top priority for residents.
• Community and social connections: Many residents value having a good community, friendly areas, and social connections.
• Recreational activities: Access to parks, green spaces, and other recreational activities is important.
• Shops and amenities: Proximity to shops, restaurants, and other amenities is valued.
• Environment and cleanliness: Keeping the town clean and looking after the environment are important to residents.
• Home and living conditions: Having a comfortable home and living conditions is a priority.
• Traffic and infrastructure: Improving traffic flow and infrastructure is a concern for many residents.
• Public services and facilities: Access to reliable public services and facilities, such as good public transport and public toilets, is important.
• Entertainment and fun: Having fun and engaging in enjoyable activities are important aspects of living in Stourport-on-Severn.

What people said they want

Flourishing town centre

• There is a strong desire for a wider variety of shops, including clothing stores, electrical shops, fruit and veg shops, and flower shops.
• People want to see empty premises filled with useful shops to reduce the need to travel to nearby towns.
• Lower rent and rates are needed to encourage more shops to open.
• There is a call for better quality shops and fewer charity shops, takeaways, and nail salons.
• Encouraging more independent shops and reducing the number of takeaways is a priority.

"Heavy traffic congestion is affecting residents , visitors and business – new infrastructure is urgently needed."

What you told us you want

Improved facilities

• More public toilets and better maintenance of existing ones are frequently mentioned.
• There is a need for more youth clubs and activities for young people to keep them engaged and out of trouble. A leisure centre or youth club for teens is desired.
• Many respondents want a museum about the history of Stourport, highlighting its rich heritage.
• More parks, playgrounds, and sports facilities, including a bike track and splash pad for younger children, are requested.

Less road congestion

• Improved road structure to prevent traffic congestion is a major concern.
• There is a need for better bus services and free parking to encourage visitors.
• A new bridge to reduce traffic across the existing bridge is frequently mentioned.
• Improved access into town and central parking is desired.

Healthcare and well-being services

• Improved accessibility to medical centres and parking is a concern.
• More dentists.
• Better access to leisure facilities and cycle routes.

“Youth hub to encourage young people to take pride in town and support them out of crime and anti social behaviour.“

A safe and well-maintained environment

• Improved security with more police presence is desired.
• A safer environment for pedestrians with better crossing areas is needed.
• There is a call to tidy up the town, including the area around the funfair.
• Investment in the town to improve its appearance is a common theme.
• Improved infrastructure to cope with new housing developments is needed.

General improvements

• More local jobs.
• More community-oriented activities and events are desired.

Our strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats

Strengths

• Green spaces, canals and riversides
• Community
• Variety of social and leisure activities
• Health care provision
• Digital connectivity

Weaknesses

• Poor existing infrastructure
• Lack of joined up communication on what Stourport has to offer

Threats

• Lack of funding – local and national
• Lack of certainty
• Engaging right people at the right time
• Unitary re-organisation

Opportunities

• Better communication with residents, businesses and visitors
• Green flag status for our Open Spaces
• Better utilisation of riverside and surrounding area
• Unitary re-organisation
• Purple Flag status for night-time economy

Three themes to the vision 

Building on the data and research collected, an overarching vision has been articulated, supported by three key themes to guide our thinking and future decision making. Our public consultation continues to help develop these themes and our plans.

There will be some overlap but the themes will help to organise specific projects, initiatives and ideas to ensure the town operates, develops and connects in a coherent manner.

Each theme and supporting ambitions and initiatives will directly contribute to the vision.

1. Great place to live
2. Sustainable for the future
3. Provides what people need

Your vision of a future Stourport-on-Severn

Vibrant, attractive, tranquil, welcoming to residents, visitors and businesses.

Distinctive, successful recognised as a great place to visit with something for everyone.

Embracing our town heritage to be the best Stourport can be and a leading visitor destination in the West Midlands.

Theme one: place

Stourport-on-Severn has the potential to be a great place to live and to visit. The Georgian town centre, river and canal heritage and wonderful green spaces give us an almost unique setting and we need to make the most of it for residents and visitors.

To provide an attractive, safe and accessible environment to our residents, visitors and businesses, Stourport-on-Severn will:

• Be a town for everyone, supporting the needs of residents as well as providing an exciting and interesting place to visit.
• Have a better town centre with more shops and services that local people need and use.
• Have attractive and safe streets and open spaces.
• Have vibrant mixed–use buildings.
• Continue to improve and celebrate its open spaces, maximising the town’s heritage port status and location by the River Severn.
• Provide safe, accessible and convenient amenities for residents and visitors. This includes parking and public conveniences near to local services, town maps and signposts.

“A museum would be good in the basin and some more flowers / trees.”

“Need toilet facilities for everyone.”

Theme two: people

Stourport-on-Severn will provide the key things that the people who live there need. This includes a strong local economy, a great local community, a safe place to live and accessibility to key services, employment and education.

To deliver this, Stourport-on-Severn needs:

• Safety, community and well-being as a priority.
• Better traffic flows (through the town) and reduced need for car use with improved bus service to key destinations (for example - hospital) and improved cycling and walking infrastructure.
• Better accessible by road, public transport, cycle and foot whilst having better connectivity beyond Stourport-on-Severn for work and education.
• People being kept informed of what’s happening in Stourport-on-Severn, both digitally and through local noticeboards.
• Promotion of the wide range of sports and leisure activities available in the town.
• A wide range of local events and activities building on existing events such as the annual carnival and Christmas Three Kings Parade and celebrations.
• Lively and attractive range of activities to suit all pockets and interest.
• Great evening and night-time offer where people can find a range of activities.

“Better advertising for local events”

“Not enough parking or seating and certainly not enough thought given to disabled people.”

“Encouraging people to love the place they in - appreciate it and look after it.”

Theme three: sustainability

Future Stourport-on-Severn needs to be sustainable. We will create a vibrant, sustainable and growing economy, and preserve and protect both local heritage and the environment.

To ensure that the town flourishes, we need:

• A pro-active approach to improving local services and infrastructure such as skill building, digital connection, utility capacity and resilience.
• Effective use of public sector land and property.
• More mixed developments offering retail, office space, homes, visitor accommodation.
• To provide a good environment for a great mix of small and medium enterprises.
• Improved local biodiversity in public spaces.
• Promotion and support of local events and festivals.
• To ensure that new housing development meets the town's needs.
• Re-use and re-purposing of our historic buildings and spaces to avoid them becoming redundant or under-used.
• Strategic connections with other places in Worcestershire.

“Keep housing to brownfield sites, preserve our green fields.”

“Plant more trees and keep our nature reserves for walking and wildlife.”

Delivering the vision

High priority interventions

• Secure new toilets in central location.
• Ease congestion around town centre.
• Make more of the historic legacy of the town.
• Make more of what Stourport-on-Severn has to offer.
• Protect and improve green spaces:
  • Riversides
  • Parks
  • Nature Reserves
  • Gardens

Medium term interventions

• Improve variety of retail offer.
• Improve 5pm-1am night-time economy offer (Purple Flag status).
• Ensure that opportunities and public spaces are welcoming, adaptable and designed for everyone.

Potential quick wins

• Better signage and communication
• More and better bins around town
• More and better town seating
• Explore improving lights in Memorial Park
• Replace bench on the corner of Dunley and Cedar Avenue
• Litter
• Town notice boards
• Events committee

Intervention one: Get the traffic flowing

A top priority for Stourport-on-Severn is to improve the flow of traffic in and around the town. We have an arterial traffic route running through the centre of town which is bad for the town centre and for drivers who are trying to get through the town.

There are three schemes to fix this (in increasing complexity and cost):

1. Create a free-flowing route around the High Street. This would reduce current bottleneck in the High Street and provide some new routes to help traffic avoid some of the worst congestion areas. It also creates a pedestrian zone at the top of the High Street.
2. Relief Road. An existing plan that could utilise some existing infrastructure and help traffic that is going through the town avoid the town centre, improving traffic flow for everyone. It would also help reduce traffic through the Gilgal Conservation Area.
3. New bridge. Stourport-on-Severn's bridge is poorly situated for traffic getting from one side of the town to the other. The ultimate solution, as proposed by our MP with involvement of the county council, is a bridge that bypasses the town, especially in conjunction with the relief road.

 

Intervention two: A town centre to be proud of

Every town needs a centre that is a vibrant and pleasant place to go to with good shops and local services. Enhancing the High Street and the central area give both visitors and residents a better experience.

One of the proposed road improvements creates a pedestrian zone at the top of the High Street.

This will bring in better shops and also provide more space for people to congregate with opportunity for outdoor markets and outdoor café space.

This will be great space for fairs, markets, festivals such as the carnival and the Three Kings Parade.

Improving safety and accessibility of car parking, as well being good value, is a key improvement to ensure that the ample parking is useful for people using the town centre.

Intervention three: Smarter, safer Stourport

Making public spaces even better

Public spaces play a vital role in creating a welcoming environment:

• Upgrading street lighting and ensuring all public areas are well-illuminated.
• Maintaining cleanliness through regular waste collection and street cleaning.
• Ensuring signage is clear, informative, and accessible to all.

Improving transportation and accessibility

Efficient transportation options are vital for the town:

• Good and affordable public transport, including buses and taxis.
• Creating clearly marked pedestrian pathways with adequate lighting and well-lit parking areas close to nightlife hubs.

Feeling safer around town

Measures to enhance safety and feel safer in Stourport:

• Increasing police and community support officer presence during peak night-time hours.
• Additional CCTV cameras in key areas such as car parks, entertainment venues, and public squares.
• Working with police and the Police and Crime Commissioner to
• raise awareness of police actions.

 

Intervention four: Visitor centre

Stourport-on-Severn has a rich history with plenty of activities and areas of interest in and around the town.

To promote these, and also to meet some of the towns current needs, we propose a new visitor centre.

• • Local museum that showcases the town's heritage including pre Stourport-on-Severn, the canal and our industrial heritage.
  • Tourist centre that can help promote the many local activities.
  • Open the centre up as a day centre for the town to help build community and help give people of the town somewhere to go.
  • Fully accessible toilet facilities, including Changing Places.

“Open a Stourport community museum, let's show off the history of our town!”

Intervention five: More to do in Stourport-on-Severn

Stourport-on-Severn is a great place to go out. We have a historic setting, plenty of greenspaces and a vibrant music scene.​ We can build on all of this to make Stourport-on-Severn not only a great place to come to during the day but also to stay in the evening.

Purple Flag

The ambition would be to achieve Purple Flag status, which is an accreditation scheme that recognises excellence in managing town and city centres at night.

Achieving this status demonstrates a commitment to safety, attractiveness, and a vibrant night-time economy.

To attract a broad demographic, we need to offer a variety of night-time activities would need to be on offer, including:

• Hosting evening markets and cultural events such as concerts, and film screenings.
• Encouraging family-friendly venues to extend their hours and offer evening programs.
• Partnering with local businesses to create themed nights or special promotions.
• Supporting the development of new dining and entertainment options.
• Attaining Purple Flag status will enhance the town's appeal and encourage both residents and visitors to engage with its nightlife.

Intervention six: Heritage Stourport-on-Severn

Promoting our heritage

We will make more of our heritage assets through our visitor centre as well as supporting the heritage boat trips and guided tours of Stourport Forward.

We will improve the signage and information (digital and physical) as well as providing guided routes around the town.

Bridge Street regeneration

One of the key opportunities for Stourport-on-Severn is connecting the town centre and the riverside with the canal basins. This will make the town's heritage more accessible and prominent and enhance the town centre. The Bridge Street development presents an opportunity to:

• Establish a direct, heritage-sensitive pedestrian connection between Bridge Street and the canal basins.
• Introduce high-quality mixed-use development on the site of the former Bridge Street car park, creating a new urban frontage to the basin edge.
• Re-organise moorings and basin infrastructure in partnership with the Canal & River Trust (CRT), improving both operational efficiency and visitor experience.
• Stimulate a new phase of regeneration, learning from the success of earlier schemes, but applying a community-led, phased delivery approach with reduced land assembly risks.

Working in close collaboration with CRT, Historic England, WFDC, and a wide range of local stakeholders, this proposal forms the natural next step in the wider regeneration of Stourport-on-Severn’s historic basins — unlocking access, economic potential, and pride in place.

Intervention seven: Enhance our open spaces

Stourport-on-Severn has wonderful open spaces - parks, riverside, canals, nature reserves and more. We will enhance these to make them more accessible and more enjoyable. This will not only enhance the town but boost the local economy.

Using what we have

To get more people to use our parks and waterside spaces, we will invest in making them more attractive. This includes better signage; more waste bins (with recycling options); promoting more events; better seating; and lighting.

More to do

People expect more from parks. We will look at more to do as facilities such as places to eat and drink near the riverside.

Better paths and cycle routes

Paths that are good for people with mobility issues, cyclists and families will help encourage more usage.

Accessible open spaces

Some of our open spaces are relatively inaccessible. We will improve safe walking routes to them such as a pedestrian crossing to Hartlebury Common. Some of the best views in the town are obscured by overgrown vegetation on river banks and around paths. We will clear these to improve the experience whilst balancing this by increasing biodiversity elsewhere.

Other issues

The key issues below are outside local authority control and will require partnership working:

Public safety ​

Crime in Stourport-on-Severn and surrounding areas is lower than national or regional average but, in common with communities across the UK, a small number of people behaving badly or illegally is having a disproportionate impact. Stourport-on-Severn Town Council has fully engaged and will continue to fully engage with the local police to address ongoing issues of anti-social behaviour and unlawful activity.

Health and well-being ​

While we continue to enhance our open spaces, host public events, and foster a sense of well-being within the community, we recognise that the provision of health and dental services falls outside our remit. Although we do not have the authority to deliver these services directly, we remain committed to promoting our town as a prime location for improved healthcare provision. For further information on health and wellbeing services, please visit the Worcestershire County Council website: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/council-services/health-and-wellbeing.

State of the town centre including Bridge Street ​

Maintaining a smart town is important for local businesses and the local community. Properties in our town centre are in private rather than public ownership.

Relief road/new bridge

These are both outside town council control and will require multiple partner involvement and central government funding.

How the vision will be delivered

It is firmly acknowledged that this vision must not simply set out ambitions, ideas and initiatives without these leading to determined actions and activity.

To meet the vision we need a climate and environment where constructive change is encouraged and achievable.

This will involve:

• Awareness – to generate recognition that the vision is essential to the future of Stourport-on-Severn.
• Leadership and partnership – to secure cross-party support, and business and political champions.
• Skills – to ensure we have the skills to manage the delivery of initiatives and projects.
• Communication – o take people along with us on the journey.

Stourport-on-Severn Town Council will focus on areas it has the power and means to influence, working steadily to achieve meaningful, long-term change.

Vision delivery steering group

It is proposed that leadership and governance will be provided by a Vision Delivery Steering Group, which would include representatives from Stourport-on-Severn Town Council, Wyre Forest District Council, Worcestershire County Council and West Mercia Police as well as community representatives.

Future roles and responsibilities and terms of reference will be established at the inaugural steering group meeting and the action plan will be developed setting out the short term wins, deliverables under local authority control, joint activity and long terms objectives.

Project planning and implementation plan

It is not the purpose of this document to provide a detailed delivery and action plan – this will be developed in due course. Projects will be phased and rolled out gradually, with progress depending on available funding and resources.

Role of Local Government

Who will deliver the vision

Roles and responsibilities

• Local authorities play a significant role in supporting the development of a sustainable town in Stourport-on-Severn:
• Policy and planning: local authorities are responsible for developing and implementing policies and plans that promote sustainable development, including land use planning, environmental protection regulations, and economic development strategies.
• Funding and resources: local authorities provide funding and resources for various sustainability projects, including infrastructure improvements, renewable energy installations, and community initiatives.
• Partnerships and collaboration: local authorities collaborate with local authorities, businesses, non-profits, and community groups to ensure a coordinated approach to sustainable development. This includes working with the Canal & River Trust, town councils, and other stakeholders.
• Monitoring and evaluation: local authorities monitor and evaluates the progress of sustainability projects and initiatives, ensuring that they meet established goals and objectives. This involves data collection, performance assessments, and reporting on outcomes.
• It is essential that we take a pro-active approach in the role of the town following creation of the unitary authority rather than letting others dictate our future.

Role of Stourport-on-Severn Town Council

Our role will be to deliver:

Improvements where we have direct accountability and funding, for example, improvements to our parks, provision of town notice boards, benches and signage.

Our role will be to support:

• Local Policy Advocacy: advocating for policies that support environmental protection, sustainable development, and community well-being.
• Community projects: initiating and supporting community projects that enhance local sustainability, such as park clean-ups, tree planting initiatives, and waterway conservation efforts.
• Public awareness campaigns: leading public awareness campaigns to educate residents about the importance of sustainability and to encourage environmentally-friendly practices.
• Collaboration: collaborating with county authorities, local businesses, non-profits, and residents to create a coordinated approach to sustainability.
• Healthy living and well-being: supporting initiatives that promote healthy living and well-being, such as organizing fitness classes, community sports events, and mental health workshops.
• Public safety: working with police and the Police and Crime Commissioner on making Stourport safer and feeling safer.
• Volunteer groups: creating a framework of volunteer groups as well as working collaboratively with key groups such as Stourport Forward, Stourport Heritage Port Group and Stourport Civic Society where they have key skills and knowledge that can help improve the visitor economy and protect heritage assets.

The role of Worcestershire County Council and Wyre Forest District Council

Local Plan

Wyre Forest District Council’s Local Plan, which captures the scale and distribution of new developments, is due to be revised after 5 years.

This would be an appropriate point to incorporate town regeneration plans into WFDC policy - the Local Plan should reference the Stourport Future vision in relation to:

• Ensuring that new housing development meets local need as well as national government targets.
• Regeneration of the town centre.
• Development of the visitor economy in Stourport-on-Severn.

Transport Plan

Worcestershire County Council’s current Local Transport Plan (4), which sets out the investment programme for our transport networks, is due to be replaced by Local Transport Plan (5) in the near future. As Stourport-on-Severn remains the only town in Worcestershire without a bypass or relief road - and with longstanding congestion issues exacerbated by ongoing housing growth - there is a reasonable expectation that this will be addressed to support sustainable development and align the town with wider county infrastructure.

Studies, research reports and consultation

The proposals in this vision have been shaped by field research, reviews of previous plans and strategies, facilitated participation workshops attended by representatives of community and business organisations, full public consultation, and a comprehensive range of studies.

The ideas in this vision were developed from the public consultation carried out via the online survey and face-to-face workshops in 2024/25, past plans and strategies, and studies from similar towns and authorities.

All quotations featured in this document were sourced from public comments and feedback.