Express & Star

A town to be proud of after £1.5m Willenhall revamp

The £1.5 million regeneration scheme to breathe new life into Willenhall has been completed.

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The Willenhall Townscape Heritage Initiative, which began back in 2011, has seen 18 buildings in the town centre given makeovers, ranging from new shop fronts to roofs, chimneys and brickwork.

One of the main projects was the revamp of The Bell Inn, the Grade II listed pub in Market Place and one of the town's most historic buildings.

Owner Bharat Parmar from Elegant Dry Cleaners in Market Place

The pub dates back to around 1659 but had been empty for a number of years.

After a consortium of residents bought the pub in 2010, the group applied for funding to halt its deterioration.

Cheers! The Bell has also been spruced up as part of the work

Repairs were carried out to its roof and windows, and the shop front was replaced with a more traditional design based on historic photographs.

Councillor Adrian Andrew, deputy leader for Walsall Council, said the revamp scheme, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, had helped protect the town's proud history.

He said: "This is a real cross party project for Willenhall and I am pleased that I was at the forefront of securing the investment and working to improve the town centre.

"I want to thank all the owners that have engaged with this project and invested in their properties but the jewel in the crown of this investment must be the Bell Pub - all of us on the panel were determined that there would be significant improvements to that property so disgustingly neglected by the previous owners.

"We thank the new owners for their bravery, investment and dedication to achieve such success.

"Let's hope this is a further step to regenerate and encourage investment in Willenhall."

Other shop improvement projects include Blunts Shoes and Golden Girl in Market Place, JR Holyhead in Cross Street and RS News in Wolverhampton Street.

Councillor Ian Shires, who sat on the grants panel for the project, said: "People cannot fail to notice to difference that this project has had on parts of our townscape.

"This has been achieved by cross party working together with a determination between Walsall Council, local businesses and residents to work towards a common goal.

"The restoration of what truly is a fine example of a traditional Black Country town centre.

"Continued austerity measures are going to make this a hard act to follow which is why we must continue working together to find ways of keeping the momentum going."

Vanessa Harbar, head of Heritage Lottery Fund for the West Midlands, said the scheme will 'underpin this important local heritage' of Willenhall, adding: "While at the same time helping to reinvigorate the local economy."

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