Around a 100 civic leaders and regeneration experts were invited to hear about ambitious £600 million plans to transform Walsall over the next four years.

The housing and regeneration summit took place at the Village Hotel, near Junction 10 of the M6 on Monday to discuss how the borough will look by 2012.

Speakers included ground-breaking zero carbon architect Bill Dunster and Paul Spooner, Regional Director or the new Homes and Communities Agency.

Walsall Council leader councillor John O’Hare was on hand to outline key challenges facing the borough and Peter Cromar, Chief Executive of Walsall Regeneration Company, provided an overview of regeneration plans for the town centre.

Professor Harris Beider, from the Institute of Community Cohesion at Coventry University and Dr Sam Ramaiah, Director of Public Health in Walsall, were also among the invited guests.

The conference was organised by Walsall Housing Partnership, which includes the council and housing associations in Walsall.

Councillor O’Hare said: “These are exciting times for Walsall and its partners. We have a key opportunity to transform the people, the place and the prosperity of Walsall and working with communities will be at the heart of this transformation.”