New fire HQ axed in plan

Plans for a new fire station have been axed from a scheme to create a "community hub" in the heart of Bewdley.

The multi-million pound project has been downscaled to just a new health centre and library, due to a cash squeeze.

Plans to double the size of St George's Hall will be submitted to Wyre Forest District Council later this year.

Load Street car park will disappear to make way for the new developments if the scheme is approved. Talks have been ongoing between the Bewdley Development Trust, architects and surveyors over the past year.

And town bosses now admit there is not the money available to include the fire station in the proposals as originally planned. Instead the existing station will remain as it is.

If approved, work will first begin to redevelopment of St George's Hall which will see the building extended to include civic officers and a room for the Citizens Advice Bureau. Once this has been completed work will begin on the new library followed by the medical centre.

The centre would move to the new library building during construction.

The final part of the development would involve building new houses and offices.

Parking spaces for 79 cars will also be available on a new town square created as part of the scheme. Work is scheduled for completion on the entire project by 2014.

Bewdley's mayor and town councillor Derek Killingworth said: "This scheme was first put forward in 2008 and while things have appeared to go silent over the past year work has been taking place."

"The plans will be submitted for planning permission in the coming months and it is hoped work will start soon after. The fire station will no longer form part of the scheme. There is simply not the money to do this so that development will no longer be happening."