WYRE Forest is one of the first areas in the West Midlands to have in place a strategy to guide the future development of the area.

It is known as the Core Strategy and, on the back of the recent announcement to enter the race for enterprise zone status, the district council is launching six weeks of consultation on the detailed plans it encompasses.

The move is part of the introduction of what is known as a Local Development Framework (LDF).

This is effectively a planning blueprint for the future development of the district to 2026. It will ultimately guide the future consideration of planning applications.

Councillor John Campion, Leader of the council, said: “The LDF is part of a co-ordinated package of measures developed over the last three years that aims to promote Kidderminster and the wider district as a location to do business. A place that is positive about new development, business growth and enterprise.

“Through the ReWyre Initiative, the LDF and now the combined efforts of the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership and the proposed Enterprise Zone we are positioning the district to attract inward investment in readiness for an upturn.”

All stakeholders in Wyre Forest now have the opportunity to have their say on where future development is to be located.

There are three documents currently out to consultation. The first is called the Site Allocations and Policies document and has district-wide coverage.

The second is the Kidderminster Central Area Action Plan which looks at the specific challenges facing Kidderminster town centre and adjacent communities.

The third document is a specific development brief for the regeneration area of the Horsefair, called the Churchfields Masterplan.

The council wants Wyre Forest residents to get involved and take a look at these three new documents that will almost certainly have an impact on your community.

The documents raise a number of new development ideas. These include proposed recognition of the West Midland Safari and Leisure Park as a designated ‘Major Developed Site’ in the Green Belt.

This will provide a more positive framework to enable small-scale infill development within the built-up area of the site.

There are also plans to extend the possible range of uses for the former Lea Castle Hospital.

This extensive site to the north of Kidderminster has been vacated and is surplus to requirements. Although Lea Castle was earmarked in 2004 for a high-tech business park, there has been little interest from commercial developers with the spotlight instead focussing on the south Kidderminster area.

The Site Allocations document explores options to extend the range of uses to include new residential institutional-type uses. What do you think would be appropriate for this key site?

Elsewhere, the Kidderminster Central Area Action Plan and the Draft Churchfields Masterplan and will provide a clear steer on creating sustainable communities whilst providing clear guidance on the location of major retail developments.

Having listened to feedback from the initial Churchfields Masterplan consultations, the council’s preferred approach is to encourage a housing-led regeneration of the Churchfields area.

This differs from proposals being promoted for an Asda superstore at this location.

Major retail uses were discounted as part of the drafting of the masterplan, with the council favouring locating this use within the town centre.

Councillor Julian Phillips, Cabinet Member for Place Shaping, explained that national planning policy puts the focus of search for major new retail stores on the town centres.

“The central area action plan highlights the potential suitability of land in the vicinity of Bromsgrove Street and Worcester Street for a major new retail store and this is the starting point.

“The benefits of a major new retail store in what we are calling the ‘eastern gateway’, is that it could provide a much-needed anchor that will drive pedestrian footfall in Worcester Street.

This will help to rebalance the town centre and open up the eastern side of the town centre which is in urgent need of regeneration.

Councillor Phillips continued: “The trouble with out-of-centre locations such as Churchfields is that they often divert trade away from the centre with consequent impacts on the vitality and viability of the town centre.

“The council is undertaking more detailed investigations to fully explore how the eastern gateway could work.”