Regeneration
New canal footbridge for Walsall waterfront
Published on
Walsall is in the middle of a £1.5billion transformative programme of investment and one of the projects will include the building of a footbridge close to the waterfront retail park.
Walsall is in the middle of a £1.5billion transformative programme of investment, with funding secured to achieve a number of aims to improve the borough and create opportunities.
The plan for the town centre includes a footbridge that will provide better pedestrian access from the town centre to the waterside retail park, with the footbridge due to be installed close to the Light Cinema.
Proposals are expected to be submitted to the planning committee in January 2024 ready for construction to commence shortly after. The footbridge project is part of a series of town centre improvements funded through the Government’s Towns Fund, with all schemes set to be complete by 2026.
The wider scheme aims to improve active travel in and around Walsall town centre and improve connectivity providing more opportunities for people to travel around the borough for work and leisure.
“ These types of interventions are important because they make walking and cycling around the borough easier and safer, be it for work or for leisure. We are working on a series of schemes both in the town centre, and across the wider borough, that will improve access for people who need to walk, cycle and use public transport.
Improvements have already been made to canal towpaths across the borough, and this footbridge is another piece of the jigsaw that will improve connectivity and create opportunities for local people.
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Walsall Council has been working in partnership with Canal & River Trust to improve the borough’s canals and attract boaters to the canal basin area in the town centre. A series of improvements are in the pipeline, including the installation of the footbridge, that are hoped to encourage moorings in Walsall.
Other plans include the installation of a sea bin in the canal basin that will collect litter and keep the water clean and tidy, and improved facilities for visiting boaters including water points.
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