THE council is set to spend £560,000 this year laying some of the foundations for its 'masterplan' vision - with a new hotel and the potential for more car parking and hundreds of new riverside apartments top of the agenda.

Worcester City Council wants to move forward and is looking to approve a number of studies which could become part of a major redevelopment of the city's riverside.

The city council will use the £500,000 already approved in February 2018 - a pot of money put aside to 'implement' the masterplan - alongside government funding to pay for the studies.

One major study includes looking at what work would be needed to prepare the riverside - particularly Copenhagen Street, South Quay, Croft Road and North Quay - for future development particularly in the face of a significant flood risk and as an archaeologically sensitive area.

The study would cost around £250,000 and would also look at the riverside's heritage.

The council would use £140,000 from the masterplan 'implementation' funding alongside £100,000 from One Public Estate, a scheme between the government, Local Government Association and councils, and £10,000 floor risk money from the Environment Agency.

The flooding and archaeology studies would allow the council to then look at potential developments along the riverside - which could include new apartments, more car parking and a new hotel.

The masterplan, which was ratified by full council last week, sets out a vision for a number of huge developments across the city in the next 20 years but is aspirational rather than definitive.

The city's riverside and future development alongside the River Severn features heavily in the expansive council document which imagines the formation of four quarters in the city - City Heart, Canalside and Shrub Hill as well as the Riverside.

The city council has already spent around £50,000 on a number of studies looking at the potential economic effects of the masterplan.

The studies were used to support a number of successful multi-million pound bids to the government and Local Government Association (LGA) and the Arts Council.

The city council is also match funding the county council to the tune of £215,000 to allow for a number of important works to go ahead,

Council priorities include refurbishing Pump Street to match The Shambles and starting work on making Foregate Street a key city gateway.