Evesham Place Board has been created with the support of Wychavon District Council to deliver the vision and strategic objectives of the Evesham Town Centre Investment Prospectus. It brings together businesses, civic and community groups, event organisers and local Town and District Council representatives - people with a passion for their place and who care about the future of the town.

The Board is independent of Wychavon but is accountable to the Council’s Executive Board. It operates autonomously and on an impartial and non-political basis, guiding and assisting the District Council and other bodies to support the improvement and economic growth of Evesham.

All Board members are volunteers and as well as working with local stakeholders and the wider business community to deliver projects to benefit the town and its appeal to visitors and investors, the Place Board also acts

What has the Place Board been working on ? 

Since the Evesham Place Board was established in July 2022 and with thanks to funding support from Wychavon, it has enabled delivery of the following activities and initiatives:

1. Project management of a Business Front Improvement Grant Scheme successfully supporting the enhancement of 18 business frontages/premises (including the arcades) to encourage increased footfall into the town centre, river and heritage quarter
2. Design and publication of the Evesham Town Centre Business Guide offering regulatory advice, place branding information and sources of support and guidance for incoming and existing business investors to promote greater respect for the town’s Conservation Area and improved standards in terms of business frontages, signage and advertising
3. Development of a dedicated ‘place’ brand for Evesham, including logos and publication style/format guidelines, complemented by a grant to Evesham Town Council to support the engagement of a part time Communications Specialist to re-develop and manage the Visit Evesham website and social media profile
4. Establishment of the Evesham Occupancy Strategy Group bringing together Place Board members, local commercial property agents and Wychavon District Council economic development officers in a coordinated effort to improve occupancy levels and enhance the retail mix in Evesham
5. Hosting of the inaugural Visit Evesham Tourism event bringing together 45 local tourism and hospitality businesses, at Wood Norton, to discuss the strategic direction of Evesham’s tourism offer and raise awareness of local business support mechanisms available to help drive innovation and growth in the sector
6. Purchase of a mobile, battery-operated vacuum back-pack to increase and accelerate local litter collection and in demonstrating the value of Place Boards in bridging businesses and Council services, secured commitment from three local businesses to support a 12-month corporate volunteer programme aimed at delivering over 100 litter-picking sessions in the town centre, on a rota twice weekly
7. Regular and consistent promotion of the town within local ‘What’s On’ guides and wider Vale publications, plus an enhanced social media profile, including LinkedIn and Facebook, engaging younger audiences, plus a dedicated Place Board website to provide a centralised platform for sharing updates and engaging with businesses and key stakeholders. Particular promotional highlights include the hosting of a delegation from the UK Polish Embassy to celebrate the growing contribution of Polish-owned businesses to the local Evesham’s economy, the awarding of ‘Highly Commended’ in the prestigious National Sceptre Retail Awards for the Christmas 2024 Nutcracker Trail, BBC coverage of the Christmas 2025 brick penguin trail and recent social media metrics indicating an expanded collective total reach of over 170,000 engagements/ views
8. Ongoing support for local events in the Abbey Park, Town Council initiatives (eg.Christmas lights), Love Evesham awards and the regular decoration of the town with ‘flags’ and artwork associated with the Battle of Evesham, Blossom and asparagus seasons, plus significant community events such as the recent King’s coronation
9. Collaboration with Evesham Town Council to refurbish the noticeboards around the town, including new locks, to bring them back into regular use, plus the purchase of 20 new metal benches, 5 of which as ‘time to chat’ benches to help reduce loneliness and isolation
10. Funding and co-ordination input to enable a range of local improvement works including repair of the gate pillars at All Saints Churchyard, redesign and replanting of the two garden entrances at Evesham Library; graffiti removal; footpath resurfacing works in Abbey Park to improve accessibility and enable solar lighting to be installed and the installation of pigeon control measures on the Bell Tower; commissioning of a feasibility study for a battlefield centre on Green Hill; development of a River Avon action plan, plus the purchase of two additional dragon pedalo boats and support for the Avon Navigation Trust to improve promotional activities/volunteer expenses to support them with piloting increased river trips and the framing and installation of a mural produced by Garage Arts for Evesham Abbey Trust depicting the history of the Abbey for display in the Park
11. Help in establishing a business-led Crime Reduction Partnership in the town, including funding for the initial set up costs and 12-month licence fee for the crime reporting and anti-social behaviour monitoring ‘DISC’ app
12. Collaboration with The Valley Evesham to develop the ‘award winning’ Christmas Nutcracker Trail, supporting town centre visits over the Christmas 2024 period, complemented further by the extremely well received brick penguin trail over Christmas 2025, resulting in significant town centre footfall increases and extended stays from visitors well beyond the local area

What’s planned for the future ?

The Board will be continuing to focus on project work that contributes towards the two Key Change Zones identified in the Evesham Town Centre Prospectus, as a priority – these are ‘Creating a people friendly high street’ and ‘Making the most of the riverside setting’.

Therefore, the Board will be actively working to:

1. Continue to support town centre property owners to improve the appearance of their properties and secure good quality investors and tenants through a modest extension of the Business Front Improvement Grant scheme
2. Improve the profile and online presence of Evesham and the Vale to attract more staying visitors, including working closely with Visit Worcestershire to offer a programme of small grants for local hospitality businesses developing new and enhanced ‘immersive’ visitor experiences, in the Evesham area
3. Host a major summer food festival in the town, showcasing the range of food producers in the wider Vale and working closely with local schools to promote healthy eating
4. Respond to the recommendations arising from the Wychavon District Council commissioned Town Centre Accessibility and Wayfinding Audits, to install an updated visitor map and improve signage and interpretation in the town, plus additional bike storage
5. Drive forward the Evesham Occupancy Strategy Group’s ‘One Space at a Time’ campaign, working proactively with local property agents to address challenges around retail occupancy and the quality of the town centre offer, including further facilitation of discussions with potential co-working space operators to explore solutions to the lack of flexible workspace in Evesham
6. Develop a business support initiative for European entrepreneurs to be offered by the Worcestershire Growth Hub in association with the University of Worcester, including the provision of town centre-based business advice drop-in sessions, building on the success of the recent Polish Embassy visit to Evesham
7. Collaborate with The Valley Evesham to consider opportunities to improve the riverside footpath/bridleway link to and from the town centre
8. Consider the implementation of a programme of street artwork to enhance key spaces and prominent buildings in the town
9. Enhance Evesham Market
10. Explore opportunities to illuminate key historic buildings and features in the town, building on previous feasibility work
11. Support the refurbishment and forward development plan for the Evesham Rowing and Racquets Club

Where can I find out more information?

Please see attached pdf Terms of Reference (114 KB) for the Evesham Place Board. You can find a meeting summary for each of our meetings here and we’ll update the website with new projects when they are completed.

Upcoming meeting dates:

10 September 2026, 10.30am

15 October 2026, 10.30am

26 November 2026, 10.30am

How do I get in touch with the Evesham Place Board?

In the first instance please contact Claire Edwards, Place Project Officer for Evesham This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 07855 209537.