£4m revamp will 'bring more tourists in'

Malcolm Knight is one of the people backing the move

People in a Worcestershire town have backed plans for a £4m "destination" - saying they would welcome more tourists.

Wyre Forest District Council want to create a market hall on a derelict car park in Stourport, in a bid to attract artisan food and drink makers.

The investment in Bridge Street is aimed at improving the link between Stourport town centre and the historic canal basins.

Resident Paul Downing, 61, said: "I can see this being brilliant for the town - back in the day this was a great place for tourism, it still does ok in that respect but it definitely lacks something like this."

Cyclist Malcolm Knight said: "It's a good idea - hopefully people will come and make use of it.

"It used to be a car park of course, so it doesn't look great now - the council will have to do something special with it, but hopefully that'll happen now."

Mandy Chester added: "Stourport needs some sort of investment - I do think it's been overlooked for quite a while now."

The Bridge Street car park has been closed off for several months

The site used to be home to a garage, but was bought by the council more than a decade ago and used for parking in recent years.

The council has made previous attempts to market the land to private buyers - including a plea to investors over the summer - but has now decided that a regeneration scheme can be delivered in-house.

Subject to planning permission, the authority wants to build a single-storey building with room for artisan traders, offering views across the basin in what they call a "high quality finish".

Nearby traders unhappy over market plan

The investment is being opposed by several traders in Bridge Street, who say trade has suffered since the car park was fenced off.

Tina Miltiadou, who runs the Riverside fish and chip shop, said: "It would be better if they had an open-air market that could be used some days of the week, then the rest of the time it could still be a car park.

"We've been here 44 years - and the day the car park closed our takings dropped by 60%.

"Its closure will be the final nail in the coffin for local businesses."

Other traders including a salon, a newsagents, two pubs and an Indian restaurant are among the objectors.

Tina Miltiadou says her chippy is struggling without the car park

Ranu Miah, from Severn Tandoori, said: "Since the closure of the car park we have experienced a 25% drop in income - I do believe that retaining part of the land as a car park would draw more people in."

But the council say the development would "create an exciting new destination venue" to boost the whole town.

Councillor leader Marcus Hart said: "It's always been one of my ambitions to try and do something ambitious with this piece of land, but in the past the costs have been prohibitive.

"This is a really exciting scheme for Stourport."

The development will be discussed by the cabinet in a meeting on 11 November.