Worcester Street Connectivity Project

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.

As part of developing the proposals for the public realm improvements there was on going consultation with the North Worcestershire Economic and Regeneration Project team, as well as meetings with representatives of Wye Forest District Council Community & Environment team, West Mercia Police, and RoSPA. Technical design workshops were held with key environmental officers to ensure proposals met the district’s broader sustainable and biodiversity targets, including the Wye Forest biodiversity officer. These workshops covered long-term management and maintenance proposals as well as early establishment activities. 

All works were delivered in close collaboration with the Regeneration Manager from Wyre Forest District Council, the Project Management team from Arcadis, McBains Structural Engineer, Ares Landscape Architects, and McPhillips as the main contractor, resulting in a high‑quality green space for the local community.

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.