Worcester's pubs, restaurants and cafes can now apply to put tables and chairs on the pavements outside their premises, so they can serve more customers while sticking to social distancing rules. Parliament has approved a new fast-track system for approving pavement licence applications, to help support the hospitality sector in England recover fro...

   The completion of the review of the South Worcestershire Development Plan has been delayed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was hoped the document would be ready for public examination in early 2021. But lockdown restrictions have made it impossible to complete a number of technical assessments and evidence gathering need...

Worcester city councillors are to be asked to back a bid for £18m of Government cash, to help regenerate the northern quarter of the city centre. The city is in the running for a share of the Government's Future High Streets Fund, which is making grants of up to £25m available to selected cities. When it meets on July 28 the City Council's Policy a...

Worcester's popular Perdiswell Leisure Centre – home to the city's championship-standard swimming pool – will be open again from Saturday 25 July. And a week later the city's other two main sports centres, St Johns and Nunnery Wood, will also be back in action, from 1 August. Worcester City Council and Freedom Leisure have jointly made the announce...

Brand new exhibition at the Art Gallery & Museum - A Welcome View features iconic Worcestershire scenes Rainbow of Art thanks NHS staff and Key Workers 'Good to Go' industry standard awarded - measures in place to ensure the safety of visitors and staff Visitors to Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum are being greeted by a brand new exhibit...

Worcester City Council has drawn up a draft Community Recovery Strategy to help ensure people across the city get the support they need as the city and the nation start to come out of lockdown. The draft Strategy, which will be considered by the Communities Committee on Wednesday July 22, is a broad-ranging plan that includes promoting physical exe...

 An independent survey of Worcester's gull population has been commissioned and published by Worcestershire Regulatory Services. The survey, which was conducted in late April by respected urban gull specialist Peter Rock, estimates that Worcester's gull population currently stands at 1,072 pairs – an increase of 440 pairs from 2006, when Rock ...

Young people are being warned about the dangers of inhaling nitrous oxide (laughing gas), following the discovery of several hundred empty canisters in parks and open spaces across Worcester since the beginning of lockdown. "It is very dangerous to inhale nitrous oxide (laughing gas) directly from the canister. You risk falling unconscious or suffo...

Worcester Guildhall is reopening to the public on Monday July 13, with a range of measures in place to ensure visitors can enjoy the historic building safely. A maximum of 15 visitors will be allowed into the High Street attraction at any one time and a one-way system will be in place to guide people around its Grade I listed splendour. The main en...

 Couples wishing to marry can now plan with greater certainty, with the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions from 4 July 2020 allowing wedding ceremonies to take place with up to 30 people present. Worcester's historic Commandery and sumptuous Guildhall have now re-opened for wedding bookings. Petra Milecova and Paul Bland tied the knot at the ...