Walsall town centre masterplan

Building upon the allocations promoted in the adopted Walsall Town Centre Area Action Plan, the masterplan will:

Provide a development framework for the re-imagination of Walsall to reverse the decline and ensure Walsall town centre, once again, becomes the town of choice for the borough whilst also attracting visitors from the wider region to maximise the benefits of such a large catchment.

Vision

The masterplan vision, developed by the Council and key stakeholders, articulates the bold ambition for the future of Walsall Town Centre. 

The ambition to become the healthiest town centre in the UK considers and addresses all of the elements which make a ‘healthy town’  from a vibrant economy, low vacancy rates, a diverse range of uses, including high quality town centre living, leisure attractions and an evening economy for all.  It would provide positive experiences for visitors within a safe, clean and attractive environment.

Delivering the vision

Over the next 20 years the vision will be delivered through a number of interventions:

• A greener public realm – urban greening and creating green links to the town centre
• A prominent railway station – create a railway station, concourse/arrival, raising the profile
• Connected hubs – improve links between the railway station and bus stations
• St Matthew’s Quarter – introduce an alternative anchor/ draw/attractor in St Matthew’s Quarter
• Enhanced market – enhance the market and give it a clear role and location in the future of the town
• Waterfront Square – enhanced waterfront space outside the New Art Gallery, to activate this area, use for events and enhance connectivity between Park Street and the wharf area
• Challenge block – develop the Challenge health centre
• St Paul’s Square – public realm the area in front the church
• Crossing the Ring Road – key connections to the north of the town from the town centre to Walsall College, Gigaport and Arboretum
• Cenotaph Square - creation of new public space in Bradford Place centred around the cenotaph

Whilst the focus of the masterplan is Walsall Town Centre, the benefits of future growth will extend much further, supporting all of our local communities.

Programme

• Walsall Council’s Cabinet approved the Walsall Town Centre Masterplan at their meeting on 17 July 2019.
• Following Cabinet, a series of workstreams will be developed, including sourcing other potential sources of external funding, to begin to deliver early Masterplan interventions.
• Following the submission of an initial Expression of Interest to the Government’s Future High Streets Fund, it has recently been announced that Walsall has successfully progressed to the next phase. During the remainder of 2019 and start of 2020 work on a full business case with the help of a resource funding grant will be prepared before submitting the final bid.

Accessibility

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology. If you use assistive technology and need a version of the document in a more accessible format, please contact the development team. We can provide you with an accessible version, or (in the case of maps and drawings) arrange to talk to you to explain the contents.