WORCESTERSHIRE County Council is set to decide whether they are going to stump up £1.5million to fulfil a "long standing ambition" to give Kidderminster Town Centre a facelift.

The money towards the proposed £2million worth of improvements would be in addition to the £500,000 put forward by Wyre Forest District Council and will be approved or denied on Thursday, September 25, at a county council cabinet meeting.

Both councils have said the project is a "long standing ambition" with the public realms of the town, including Exchange Street, Oxford Street, Vicar Street and High Street, to be focussed on. The main feature of the project is a new public square outside the Town Hall which will be used for future events and known as Exchange Place.

The improvements to the public areas around the Town Hall, Vicar Street and High Street are part of wider plans to firmly put Kidderminster on the retail map as a destination of choice for visitors and shoppers.

Councillor John Campion, Wyre Forest District Council’s cabinet member for planning and economic regeneration, said if the investment is improved, the project would build a better town centre for current and future visitors.

"I’m immensely grateful to Worcestershire County Council for recognising the importance of a successful town centre to the local economy and for supporting the District Council’s proposals for Kidderminster," he said.

"This exciting project is part of a multi-faceted programme of regeneration for Kidderminster and has been part of our ReWyre vision over the last five years.

"The multi-million pound investment will mean a vastly improved experience for shoppers, businesses and visitors. It will help to revitalise and regenerate an ageing part of the town and will send a strong message that Kidderminster is ‘Open for Business’ in the day and evening."

Cllr Simon Geraghty, Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet member for economy, skills and infrastructure, said if funding was approved, the enhancements would encourage private companies to invest in the town centre and raise the quality of the public spaces.

If approved at the cabinet meeting on Thursday (September 25), work on the project, which is being managed by Wyre Forest District Council in partnership with Worcestershire County Council and supported IBI Taylor Young, is expected to begin in January next year with an anticipated completion of September 2015.

The district council, working with Hendersons, the owners of Weavers Wharf, also has ambitious plans to redevelop the Crown House and Lower Mill Street areas of the town as well as plans to open up access to Worcester Street to create activity to support struggling shops in that area in addition to this project.