Public opinion wanted on draft plans for regenerating Wednesbury
Residents, businesses and community groups are invited to have their say on a draft proposal for redeveloping a Sandwell town.
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The Wednesbury Town Centre Masterplan consultation provides a significant opportunity for community members to actively participate in the planning and development of the town centre.
By sharing their ideas, aspirations and concerns, Sandwell Council hopes that people who live and work in Wednesbury will play a crucial role in creating a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable town centre for generations to come.
A spokesman for Sandwell Council said: "The masterplan is a document that will guide how the town centre changes over the next 10 to 15 years and help the council with decision-making about how that will happen.
"We want to ensure that the town centre thrives, grows and is ready to meet the challenges faced by climate change, economic and behavioural changes in the future.
"Having a masterplan is a useful tool that will help access funding for improvements and regeneration in the town from the UK government and elsewhere as it sets out the priority projects in the town centre.
"We recently asked for your views on your priorities for upcoming improvements to Wednesbury town centre and have drafted the following vision for the town centre:
"The town centre will be strengthened as the vibrant heart of Wednesbury, a historic Black Country market town with a proud heritage, and a contemporary place where people live and work which supports the needs and wellbeing of local communities."
The council said it had developed a number of aims from feedback received and spoke about what it was looking to do to keep with the existing strengths and character of the town.
These included being a welcoming and inclusive town centre, a well-connected place which is easy to get to and around, a diverse mix of land uses and an active and vibrant place in the daytime and evening.
The council said everyone is invited to have their say on the draft document between Tuesday, May 7 and Tuesday, June 11.
People can complete an online survey via the Consultation Hub or drop into Wednesbury Library or attend public engagement events where they can see the draft document and discuss them with the officers working on the project.
These will be held at Wednesbury Library on Tuesday, May 14 between 6pm and 8pm and Morrisons, Wednesbury on Saturday, June 1 between 10am and 12pm.
This consultation is part of the Levelling Up Partnership which is a programme of investment in Wednesbury.
Some of the investment is being used to kick-start improvements in Wednesbury Town Centre and work will soon start on public realm improvements.
The Levelling Up Partnership will also help Sandwell Council deliver new homes, help tackle crime and antisocial behaviour, improve green spaces and expand the Millennium Centre to provide a space in the centre so that more can be done to give people the skills they need to secure better jobs.
Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, Leader of Sandwell Council, said: “I encourage all residents, visitors and people with an interest in Wednesbury Town Centre to take part in this consultation.
"Setting a vision and priorities for the Town Centre through this Masterplan will help us focus on the areas that matter most and to encourage further investment in Wednesbury to come forward.”
To find out more about the Levelling Up Partnership and the projects for Wednesbury, go to regeneratingsandwell.co.uk.
