Residents, businesses and community groups are invited to have their say on the draft Wednesbury Town Centre Masterplan.
The Wednesbury Town Centre Masterplan consultation provides a significant opportunity for community members to actively participate in the planning and development of the town centre. By sharing their ideas, aspirations and concerns, people who live and work in Wednesbury will play a crucial role in creating a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable town centre for generations to come.
The masterplan is a document that will guide how the town centre changes over the next 10-15 years and help the Council with decision-making about how that will happen. We want to ensure that the town centre thrives, grows and is ready to meet the challenges faced by climate change, economic and behavioural changes in the future. Having a masterplan is a useful tool that will help access funding for improvements and regeneration in the town from the UK government and elsewhere as it sets out the priority projects in the Town Centre.
We recently asked for your views on your priorities for upcoming improvements to Wednesbury town centre and have drafted the following vision for the town centre:
"The town centre will be strengthened as the vibrant heart of Wednesbury, a historic Black Country market town with a proud heritage, and a contemporary place where people live and work which supports the needs and wellbeing of local communities."
The following aims have been developed based on the feedback we received and recognising the need to make sure that change is balanced with making the most of the town centre’s existing strengths and character:
1. A welcoming and inclusive town centre
2. A well-connected place which is easy to get to and around
3. A transformed local environment with better quality public spaces that people will want to spend time in
4. A consolidated and strengthened retail offer with a greater range of shops
5. A diverse mix of land uses including higher density residential development
6. An active and vibrant place in the daytime and evening
From Tuesday 7 May until Tuesday 11 June everyone is invited to have their say on the draft document. People can complete an online survey via the Consultation Hub or drop into Wednesbury Library or the following public engagement events where they can see the draft document and discuss them with the officers working on the project. These will be held on:
Wednesbury Library – Tuesday 14 May 6pm – 8pm
Morrisons, Wednesbury – Saturday 1 June 10am – 12pm
This consultation is part of the Levelling Up Partnership which is a programme of investment in Wednesbury. Some of the investment is being used to kick-start improvements in Wednesbury Town Centre and work will soon start on public realm improvements. The Levelling Up Partnership will also help Sandwell Council deliver much needed new homes, help tackle crime and antisocial behaviour, improve green spaces and expand the Millennium Centre to provide a space in the centre so that more can be done to give people the skills they need to secure better jobs. The Levelling Up Partnership builds upon regeneration and plans in place to deliver ambitious projects for Wednesbury with £20.4million investment.
Sandwell Council has set up a partnership board to oversee the Levelling Up Partnership.
Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, Leader of Sandwell Council, said:
“I encourage all residents, visitors and people with an interest in Wednesbury Town Centre to take part in this consultation. Setting a vision and priorities for the Town Centre through this Masterplan will help us focus on the areas that matter most and to encourage further investment in Wednesbury to come forward.”
Chair of the Wednesbury Levelling Up Partnership Board, Maria Jardine said:
“I am looking forward to hearing the views of people that visit, live and work in Wednesbury on the draft Masterplan. The Wednesbury Levelling Up Partnership Board want to make sure that Wednesbury goes from strength to strength and to do that we need the whole community to be part of this vision and consultation."
To find out more about the Levelling Up Partnership and the projects for Wednesbury please visit our consultation hub and regeneration website.