AN ambitious £6m River Severn regeneration scheme for Worcester will have to be massively down-sized after funding for the scheme has fallen far short of its target.

Aspects of the project to improve parklands and riverbank from Gheluvelt Park through Pitchcroft to Cripplegate Park are not eligible for funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund meaning that the city council only has around £1m for the scheme.

Francis Lankester, Worcester city council's cabinet member for tourism and riverside regeneration, said the HLF only wanted to fund the parts of the scheme that have an historic and educational relevance.

He said that would include work in and around Gheluvelt Park because it was named in honour of the soldiers of the Worcestershire Regiment who won a key First World War battle in 1914.

Informed in November

The Evening News has discovered that the council was informed that its plans did not satisfy the HLF criteria at a meeting between Lottery advisors, city council officers and consultants from Plinke Landscape Consultancy in November.

Neither Pitchcroft nor Cripplegate Park was regarded as having historical and educational links.

"The HLF has a habit of changing its priorities," said Coun Lankester.

"Unfortunately, although Cripplegate Park is a park we all love very much, the HLF does not see it as a priority.

"The cabinet now has to decide what to do."

Another blow

It is another blow for the city council after significant cutbacks had to be made in the redevelopment of the High Street, which also took far longer than at first estimated.

Stuart McNidder, the city council's head of development services, said the figure of £6m was the estimated overall figure for the development.

He said regeneration was still a priority and that they would still progress with it but on a reduced scale.

"The amount of money to be spent is much more likely to be about £1m. It is still a significant sum of money.

"The public will still see a difference," he said.