TACKLING ravenous gulls, selfish cyclists, dangerous A-boards and inconsiderate lorry drivers top a hitlist of action points in a new bid to help the High Street.

The list has been put together as part of a plan to tackle the troublesome issues affecting trade in the city by Worcester City Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economic prosperity, Geoff Williams.

Coun Williams wants to work with Worcester BID (Business Improvement District), Worcestershire County Council and others to tackle the problems that take the gloss off the city centre.

He said: “It’s too easy to take our city centre for granted. It’s clean, attractive and prosperous, boasting a great range of high street names and plenty of distinctive local shops, cafes and restaurants run by members of our city’s first class business community.

“But I know from listening to residents and businesses that there are a number of issues we need to try and tackle.”

He is already in talks with Worcester BID, local businesses and cabinet colleagues, especially Coun Matt Lamb in the council’s cleaner and greener service, to see how improvements can be achieved.

“I’m particularly keen to find a way of tackling the unsightly appearance of plastic bags full of waste being left outside shops and other businesses after they close,” he said.

“It makes the city centre less inviting as an evening destination and it can cause bigger problems, as those bags are often attacked and torn open by gulls – and even occasionally by a late-night reveller.

“Trade waste is collected by both the city council and various commercial operators, and we all have different collection times.

“That’s why many businesses put plastic bags of waste out at the end of the trading day and leave them there all night for collection the following morning.

“I’ve instructed council officers to talk to businesses and the collection companies about how we can better manage this, and whether it’s possible for us all to work towards more precise collection times so that waste is left out for a shorter period.”

Other issues set to be addressed include problems caused by cars and bicycles in the city centre.

“Inconsiderately parked cars, cyclists who charge along pavements as though they’re roads and lorries that block city centre streets cause inconvenience for us all,” Coun Williams added.

“Most motorists and cyclists, and the majority of lorry drivers making vital deliveries to our city centre businesses, cause no problems for shoppers.

“But there is a minority who act selfishly and occasionally make the experience of shopping in Worcester frustrating.

“Some businesses are also not following the rules on how A-boards should be displayed and that leads to a level of clutter on city centre streets that can be dangerous – especially for people who are visually impaired.

“We’ll be getting involved in lots of activity in the coming months, both as a council and in partnership with other groups, businesses and the county council to tackle these and other challenges, as we work to secure a great future for our city centre.”

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