Kidderminster town centre transformed with completion of new urban park

Talbot Park, which opened to the public this month (May 2026), greatly improves connectivity within Kidderminster town centre, particularly east to west links, connecting Worcester Street to Bromsgrove Street. 

Built on the site of several vacant retail premises, the new park and community space features a natural play area, wooden seating and extensive landscaping, along with a combination of stepped and step-free paths to respond to the significant height differential across the site.

McBains was appointed, along with supply chain partners Ares Landscape Architects and Link Engineering, to deliver design and engineering services to the project, along with NEC supervisor services from the start of the construction phase through to completion.

The imaginative use of sustainable urban drainage (SUDs) is integral to the project and includes three attenuation tanks totalling c. 130 m² and two soakaways totalling c. 150 m², interconnected by hundreds of metres of storm pipework and linear drainage, together with 44 storm sewer manholes and three flow‑control Hydrobrakes. A deep drainage connection beneath Worcester Street was formed to link into the main sewer at the top of the High Street. This section was excavated by hand, with the team constructing a timber shaft from the site down to the main drain, where they then broke into the existing system and completed the connection.

To accommodate the significant topographical challenges of the site, the scheme includes 16 retaining walls, seven flights of steps running up the centre of the grassed embankment, and a winding accessible path.

The landscaping works were completed with planters containing trees, shrubs, plants, and grasses, along with a small children’s play area designed to support climbing and balance development.

The scheme represents far more than the sum of its individual components. The integration of complex civil engineering - from deep drainage connections and attenuation systems to retaining structures and stepped access routes - has been carefully balanced with a strong landscape‑led vision. The result is a space that not only functions effectively beneath the surface but also creates an inviting, accessible and visually engaging environment above it.

Rob Kirton, NEC Supervisor / Senior Clerk of Works, commented: “This project is a great asset to the local community; offering residents a place to gather, move through, and enjoy - ultimately helping to reshape the character and experience of the town centre for years to come”.