in Bloom - Redditch Borough Council

Business Areas & Premises
In July 2007 a Crime Risk Audit Report was carried
out by the Police in the Unicorn Hill area. Further to
this report changes were made to the lighting in
the area with the installation of a new white light
scheme, this was the first of its kind in the County.
In conjunction with Kingfisher Shopping Centre,
Worcestershire County Council and the Police
other improvements were made to reduce
problems in this area. These included the
provision of bespoke planters to discourage
gathering, pruning of trees to ensure white light
and CCTV were effective, removal of a wall and
pruning of shrubs overhanging Bates Hill. A
proposed scheme for the Town Centre includes
the greening up of Unicorn Hill.
Redditch Crematorium is located to the north of
the town and the grounds cover 18.5 hectares. It
is specifically orientated to allow for the large
picture window in the Chapel to provide
expansive views of the well maintained grounds
and surrounding rural area. At the adjacent Forge
Mill Museum, major capital improvements to
increase awareness of the site and to enhance
the landscape within the complex have taken
place.
Redditch Borough Council has recently
undertaken an extensive consultation process
resulting in the development of a long term Town
Centre Strategy which aims to enhance the area
and will seek to drive the economic development
of the centre as a whole. An intrinsic part of this is
the Church Green Improvement Project which is
working in tandem with St Stephens Church. The
church is undergoing a process of re-ordering and
Redditch Borough Council is working with the
church to enhance its surroundings as well as
creating a viable amenity space outside the main
shopping centre that will not only be attractive but
will be a functional multiple use site.
This includes giving due consideration as to how
the area links to the train station and bus station as
well as ensuring that the Town Hall, Palace Theatre
and College are successfully integrated in to the
improvements. A major part of the Project
concerns the physical landscape, both hard and
soft, and work is underway to develop a theme
that is not only achievable over a period of time
but is sustainable in the longer term. This
necessitates that all relevant policies are given
consideration and that the proposals included for
enhancements not only meet our own standards
in terms of materials and high maintenance
specification but will incorporate our future
aspirations with regard to Heart of England in Bloom.
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Redditch in Bloom 2O1O