A HERITAGE museum and medical practice form part of new designs for Stourport town centre’s major £7 million regeneration project.

Clive Fletcher Developments, Thomas Vale Construction and estate agents Walton and Hipkiss overhauled plans for the James Brindley Wharf gateway scheme following a year of consultations.

The redevelopment will open up Stourport’s “hidden jewel” – the canal basins. People will be able to walk through to the historic site from Bridge Street.

Revamped plans, revealed to The Shuttle, show the 40,000 sq ft site will now contain 10 apartments, six town houses, four shops with a mix of food and retail outlets, a heritage museum and a 26,000 sq ft “health and wellbeing centre”, which the current York Street Medical Practice will move into.

Clive Fletcher, owner of the Kidderminster development firm, said: “We want to do something to engage Stourport High Street.

“We want families to come to and stay in Stourport, go to restaurants and use the town centre. This will make it a short link between car parks, the riverside and the basins.

“Stourport is stunningly beautiful but the most stunningly beautiful part nobody gets to see. Now you can park up, spend the day here, see the heritage, the basins and walk by the river.”

The James Brindley Wharf project was first announced in February, 2012, when 20 apartments and town houses were planned but critics described the designs as “flat” and not in keeping with the town’s Georgian roots.

“Two main changes have been made after many consultations with different bodies,” added Mr Fletcher. “People wanted a mix of old and new and not everyone wanted the buildings to be so flat.”

He said the museum was part of an attempt to “change the feel of the town”.

“Not only will locals walk down but tourists will pull up and walk through here too,” he added.

It is hoped a planning application will be submitted within the next two months and Mr Fletcher said work would start on site as soon as applicants had the go ahead.