Planned upgrade of listed bandstand to be decided

A scheme to restore a Grade II-listed bandstand in a park pond in Worcester will be decided this week.

A long-lost bronze plaque and Gheluvelt Park bandstand's original gate would be reinstated if plans are approved.

Proposals to upgrade the bandstand, which is on an island in the middle of the pond, go before members of the city council's planning committee on Thursday.

A restoration project relying on Worcester getting £5m in Levelling Up funds was one of a number of schemes to miss out when the city's share was cut to £2.3m.

Work to upgrade the bandstand had been planned as part of a wider £1.28m investment into both Gheluvelt Park and Cripplegate Park in the city.

Funding for the bandstand refurbishment is now coming from the council's maintenance programme.

The facility is reached via a wooden walkway with a pull-out metal drawbridge.

The bridge was now "beyond repair", the authority said, and needed to be replaced, but the drawbridge would be used in the proposed restoration.

Arboretum ward councillor Hannah Cooper said she was "excited for the bandstand to be restored to its former glory" and would like to see it open in time for the summer.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.