THE long-awaited start date for a major transformation of part of Worcester has been confirmed.

The £150 million regeneration of the areas around Shrub Hill will finally get underway on July 29.

This is after years of planning and discussions about how the area will look.

The major project includes hundreds of new apartments, a hotel, gym, multi-storey car park, food and drink outlets and a cinema.

It is part of a collaboration between Worcestershire County Council and Worcester City Council for the transformation of Shrub Hill Station, industrial estate and surrounding canal side for employment and residential uses.

Worcester News: PLANS: Shrub Hill in WorcesterPLANS: Shrub Hill in Worcester

Councillors finally signed off on the plans back in February after years of discussion and debate over their scope.

Worcester-based Sherriff Gate Developments is behind the project and a ceremony will be held on July 29 to mark the start of construction.

Developers say the regeneration will create hundreds of new jobs, as well as opportunities for people in Worcester to get on the housing ladder with affordable housing also included in the plans.

In total, 468 new homes will be built, with phase one seeing 213 of these being built.

This, according to Sherriff Gate, will bring in around £340,000 more to the city in council tax each year.

Worcester News: WORK: Shrub Hill in WorcesterWORK: Shrub Hill in Worcester

Plans were approved by councillors at a meeting of Worcester City Council's planning committee last year, when approval was given for a Section 106 agreement, meaning the developers need to put money forward for additional improvements.

The overall sum of the contributions equates to a total of £4,791,158 including more than £3.7million contribution to the Shrub Hill area.

Back in February, Stennard Harrison from Sherriff Gate, said: "Phase 1 of the site has already been cleared for work to commence on the first of 213 apartments.

"We have in excess of 100 men ready to uplift one of the major gateways into Worcester.

"This project is fantastic news for the city and this will start the complete continuity of the whole development."