News on Walsall Engagement Hub

Walsall is a Borough undergoing real transformation, creating a wealth of opportunity. There is a shared ambition to deliver well connected, attractive places where people are proud to live and work and where businesses want to locate; where there is a strong mix of housing for all our residents, where our communities are well served and all of our residents have the best life chances.

Walsall Council is working in partnership with Henry Boot Developments (HBD) to deliver this project which is a major part of the Council’s ‘Brownfield first’ policy to bring back to life disused land.

A major clean-up operation is underway and will be completed next year. The 44 acre site, which is the equivalent size to more than 20 football pitches, will be transformed into an industrial and business park creating more than 1000 new jobs for Walsall.

Exciting plans are in place to transform Walsall town centre which will include improvements to the train station and the Saddlers Centre, creating a landmark arrival experience into Walsall.

Walsall is to be greener, safer and a more attractive place to visit. Walsall Council wants to go even further with ambitions for Walsall to become a healthy town centre where cycling and walking is encouraged and where public spaces are used regularly for activities, performances and for events.

Once transformed it is hoped that the town centre will become a catalyst for new types of businesses and for innovative community ventures. The development of Walsall’s waterfront outside the prestigious New Art Gallery will continue.

Walsall Council is proud to work with private sector partners and also with Government, and has secured over £50 million through the Government’s Future High Streets and Town Deal funds while looking to achieve further support through the Levelling Up Fund and the Creative Development Fund, amongst others.

Alongside improvements to the town’s infrastructure are ambitions to unleash Walsall’s creative spirit to develop a vibrant heritage sector. Walsall has a rich history and the ambition is for Walsall to be a place to be truly proud of with a positive and resilient future.

This is in addition to the increased learning opportunities that will be provided by the Advanced Electric Vehicle Technology Centre and the Digital Skills Hub, as well as plans for further town centre adult skills provision.

Many may not appreciate it but because of its parks, open spaces and its farmland one third of Walsall is currently green and there are plans to add to that. In Bloxwich green spaces are being developed and improved featuring sports facilities and allotment patches, as well as room for festivals and events.

Improvements to junction 10 of the M6 motorway will reduce congestion and reduce journey times. The £78 million upgrade works are being completed by National Highways in partnership with the Council.

In the Walsall to Wolverhampton Growth Corridor, construction is well underway across a number of housing sites, transforming former derelict brownfield land. Schemes include the development of the former Caparo Engineering Works next to the A34 Green Lane in Walsall. More than 250 houses are being built on the site which has been derelict for more than a decade. Collectively these schemes will deliver more than 1400 much needed new homes for Walsall.

As the regeneration of Walsall gains pace organisations from across the Borough are coming together to develop a vision for its longer term future. The We Are Walsall 2040 programme is being shaped by the views, experiences, ideas and ambitions of those who live, work and visit the Borough. It will provide a strategic framework for the Council and its partners to prioritise resources and to develop shared ambitions for a Walsall that works for everyone

A Borough plan is now in development and will be unveiled in the spring.

For more information about the We Are Walsall 2040 programme, visit the Council website here or have your say on the We Are Walsall 2040 Commonplace here.