Hotel planned for Walsall town centre to boost tourism

Walsall Council has drawn up an action plan for the town which designates areas for specific uses.

Attracting a top of the range town centre hotel has been highlighted as a priority by Walsall Council chiefs, with sites near Walsall Waterfront, near Walsall Railway Station or in the Gigaport office corridor considered among the most suitable locations.

It would add to the Premier Inn by the New Art Gallery.

A report to the council said: "Hotel provision is a key part of the leisure offer within a town centre.

"Walsall town centre is currently only served by one national hotel chain and it is considered that the centre would benefit from a wider offer in hotel provision.

"Hotel provision helps the regeneration of Walsall by supporting the visitor economy and existing and future leisure assets.

"It is considered that another major chain, preferably of four star quality with leisure and conferencing facilities, is required for the town centre to move forward as a serious business and tourism centre."

Council leader Mike Bird said the addition of a top-of-the-range hotel similar to the Fairlawns in Aldridge would contribute to the town centre.

"That is what we would like to see in the town and with the upgrade of the Rugeley and Walsall rail line we are hoping that will bring more people in," he said.

The authority is also looking at getting space above shops used for residential and to increase the capacity of the Ring Road to ease congestion.

Junctions will be assessed in a bid to improve traffic flow.

Empty retail units which fail to attract interest or those which have no particular upstairs use could be used for flats.

The action plan states: "Creating sustainable residential communities through encouraging an increased resident population in the centre, particularly through the use of upper floors, is important to bringing life into the centre.

"Residential uses in the town centre also increase the vitality and help improve surveillance and activity.

"It is therefore considered that the allocation and promotion of further residential development in the centre is appropriate and will support the strategy for regeneration."

Councillor Bird said: "There are a lot of shops in the town which do have storage rooms upstairs which could become residential.

"The ring road in general we need to see how we can improve the traffic. There are some pinch points where we perhaps need to look at. when you come round by Queen Mary's I don't know whether it could road building or re-jigging of signals."

It comes as the town has been at the heart of regeneration with Old Square Shopping Centre undergoing a multi-million pound transformation.

Primark is due to open next month while a Co-op is also in the pipeline - creating 150 jobs.

The council pumped in £8 million from its own reserves to kickstart the long-awaited scheme as part of a £21m revamp of the centre. It is to get a new glass entrance as part of its revamp.

Bosses behind the scheme revealed last month that interest from the development has already led to a 20 per cent surge in shoppers to the Old Square.