By Town Centre Manager Jane Muckle

What a difference a month makes. New developments in Redditch town centre are really beginning to take shape and people can see for themselves that the promise of bigger and better shopping and leisure facilities is just around the corner now.

If you haven't been down to the bottom of Unicorn Hill and Plymouth Road recently then it's well worth a visit to have a look at the building works going on there.

Huge cranes are lifting the steel structure into place which will form part of this massive extension to Kingfisher Centre.

Just to give an idea of its size, this new building alone will be bigger than Crown Gate Shopping Centre in Worcester and the Pavillions in Birmingham.

Yes, it's going to be impressive

Very soon the shell of the building will begin to appear and we are now only 12 months away from the opening of a new bus station and a brand new multi-level retail and leisure complex which will include many new stores and a health and fitness club.

The scheme also boasts a large quality food hall with more than 40 stalls offering a wide variety of fresh foods from meats to marmalades.

Work on the Debenhams site is moving quickly and we're told on good authority that the shell of the building will be up by the end of the year and ready for fitting out.

Evesham Walk refurbishment is due to be completed by the autumn when the first of several large new stores plan to launch their arrival into the Kingfisher Centre.

Market Place outside St Stephen's Church is bustling and market traders are enjoying brisk business and giving new atmosphere to the area.

Close by, the Litten Tree, formerly The Works pub, is nearing completion and opens for business onJune 1, offering yet another quality venue to enjoy in the town centre.

The old cinema on Unicorn Hill is to be completely refurbished and is set to open in six months as a mixed-use themed bar, restaurant and disco.

Plans to improve the exterior of the building have been welcomed by the Town Centre Partnership and with its close proximity to public transport links and taxi ranks, this promises to be a real winner.

A French street market is planned for June 28-30 in Alcester Street from the Post Office to the Palace Theatre.

Be sure not to miss this one-off event and enjoy the flavours of the Continent right here in your own town.