AWARD: Woo Bikes, a partnership pilot e-bike scheme, has been recongised with an award A SCHEME to get more people cycling in Worcester and the county has been recognised with a prestigious accolade. Woo Bikes, a partnership pilot e-bike scheme has been awarded a silver International Corporate Social Responsibility Excellence Award. The Woo Bikes scheme consists of 50 electric bikes, also know as e-bikes, and is led by the University of Worcester alongside Worcester City Council, Worcestershire County Council and Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership. It expanded on the university’s own long-running pedal bike share initiative. When launched in 2018, it was one of the country s largest city-wide e-bike share schemes. The pilot began as a university-based scheme for staff and students and has since expanded to include several local businesses and organisations.
WINNERS: The winners of the 2019 Worcestershire Apprenticeships Awards A POPULAR event celebrating the best of county apprenticeships is returning. The Worcestershire Apprenticeships Awards are returning with entries no open to apprentices, employers, schools and training providers across the county. This year’s Worcestershire Apprenticeships Awards will mark the return of the awards after they were cancelled last year due to the safety guidelines introduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The team will be following the latest guidance around the safety of events and will decide whether the awards will be physical or virtual later this year. The Worcestershire Apprenticeships Awards, in either scenario, will be taking place on November 18, 2021.
A councillor says he can hardly believe the £815,000 bill for ‘so-called’ improvements at the Lydiate Ash roundabout island and says it’s a waste of taxpayers’ money. And he says whoever has decided to put tarmac before spending on school meals for children or laptops for lockdown pupils should ‘consider their position.’ But the county’s highways chief says the work is value for money and part of an important strategy to upgrade the A38 and cutting journey times, with more improvements on the way. Councillor Peter McDonald says several residents have approached him complaining about the cost of the work ‘as they could see little improvement.’
HIGHWAYS works to pave the way for a £200 million business park development near Redditch are now complete. Stoford Developments carried out a £5.5 million transport infrastructure project, including a signalised traffic junction, at the Redditch Gateway site off Gorcott Hill and the A4023 Coventry Highway. The project will open up around 35 acres of development land which lies between the Bromsgrove district, in Worcestershire, and Stratford-on-Avon district, in Warwickshire. Redditch Gateway is a £200 million build-to-suit scheme that will deliver brand new office, logistics and manufacturing accommodation. The Unit A warehouse being constructed at the site has been pre-let to a multinational retailer. Redditch MP Rachel Maclean and Redditch Borough Council leader Matthew Dormer previously confirmed confirmed the e-commerce giants Amazon are poised to move to the site create new jobs.
WORK to improve transport links in the Churchfields area of Kidderminster are now complete. The completion of this important scheme, delivered by Worcestershire County Council, is a key milestone in the longer-term plan to introduce much needed housing in this part of the town. Councillor Ken Pollock, Worcestershire County Council s Cabinet Member with responsibility for economy and infrastructure, said: It’s great news that these works are now finished, and the transformation of the area is visible for everyone to see. “The improvements made to the transport links will not only help to tackle congestion and improve traffic flow, they’re also an extremely important step towards further investment and much needed housing in the area.”