£10m revamp of Dudley's Castle Hill site given green light by planners
A multi-million pound transformation of Dudley’s Castle Hill site which will boost jobs and tourism has been given a unanimous green light and heralded by planners as “a step in the right direction” for the town.
Land between Dudley Zoo and Castle, the Black Country Living Museum and Dudley Canal Trust will be redeveloped to create a new 600-space visitor car park and a recreational route linking the attractions as part of the scheme.
Other developments will include a new staffed visitor hub providing people with information on the three sites. There will also be a new entrance for the zoo.
Dudley Council’s development control committee last night gave unanimous approval to the £10.1 million scheme.
The project has been backed by around £4.5m of European funding.
Dudley Council wants the zoo, museum and canal trust to be better linked to propel the number of people visiting the town towards one million a year.
Councillor Colin Wilson said: “My thoughts can be summed up in a single sentence.
“This fits the bill, is suitable for purpose and I support this application fully.” Councillor Quadar Zada added: “This application will put Dudley in the centre stage.
“This will make a sensational entrance to what I consider to be the main gateway into Dudley. It is a major step in making Dudley a major tourist attraction in the future.”
Councillors were told an objection to the scheme had been submitted by the Cradley Raising Aid Saving Heathens group who had asked for a speedway facility to be included in plans for the site. But the committee was told this was not a part of the plans in front of them so could not be discussed as part of last night’s debate.
Animal sculptures and seating are going to be installed to theme the new entrance.
Comments for: "£10m revamp of Dudley's Castle Hill site given green light by planners"
Martacus Redd
Well no more messing about please & get on with the project. I don't want to be reading in 12 months time that new plans have been submitted for something slightly different & going thru the planning stages again, because that what seems to have happened with this project over the last 10 years. In that scenario nothing ever get's done.
Steve B
10 million wasted i fear .. it would have been better spent on the Town centre..
Dudley Regeneration group
Brett
This won't alter the fact there's train tracks sitting at the back of the zoo doing zip, whilst all surrounding roads are choked (including the bypass). It's an absolute nightmare trying to navigate through the area. Even the cycle lanes are badly design, filthy as hell and ridiculously uneven. Further, the shopping area is nothing short of a disgrace. All you're seeing here is propaganda - they're more interested in mega mosques and stubbornly denying investment in infrastructure, in unique historical significance (caves), than they are about putting this are on the map. Locals won't even be able to afford it due to Cameron's austerity crap. Dudley is on the map alright, for the wrong reasons and it will remain that way. This is more an act of desperation over losing public confidence than it is about caring.
snoddy
What a flop this will be,these councilors could not give a damn about Dudley.They only want to destroy it's heritage
C Jones
Speedway snubbed once more. You're happy for the Heathens to carry the Dudley name, visit and pay lip service on a Tuesday but have done and continue to do nothing to find a home for the town's most successful sports club. Do you really think a fancy new entrance will mean a surge in visitors to the other attractions on the site?
fbartling
Lets hope the ball will start rolling again
for Dudley thanks to this badly needed
monetary injection.
Pity,though,that some of the money couldn,t
have been spent on the town center itself.
Still,this is a start,and who knows what
will come of it. !
Good luck,Dudley.
fbartling,hilversum,holland.
Angie Hales
At last. Yesterday walking around Ludlow town the coach parties of school children looking at the history of the place was so nice to see. Dudley you can do the same . Good luck with it. Come on folks support it...