FOR many years, we have been advocating some form of "riverside renaissance" in Worcester.

This column has been used on numerous occasions to argue the merits of substantial investment in an area of the city that has been neglected for too long.

Let's face it, Worcester is never going to achieve its true potential unless those areas beside the Severn are given the sort of treatment they deserve.

One of those areas is, of course, Pitchcroft.

Worcester Racecourse - rated as the worst in the country by The Times in 2003 - has long been in need of a makeover.

Which is why we fully backed Arena Leisure's plans when it took over the running of the facility in 1999.

Bold designs for a hotel and a new grandstand were greeted with much excitement - could this be the start of the renaissance we had hoped for?

Of course not. More than five years later, nothing has changed. And now, Arena says it is scrapping its plans because it will never make enough profit.

Why? Because the racecourse is on the flood plain. Well, surprise, surprise.

So, we are back at square one. The council - which stood to make £100,000 a year under the terms of the original contract with Arena - is busy renegotiating the deal.

So, once again, we are waiting for the promise of "some redevelopment" at the site.

Let's hope it won't take another five years for that plan to be washed away as well.