Wolverhampton's Queen Street to get £2.3m to breathe new life into old buildings

The £2.3 million project will see the buildings returned to their former glory under the Queen Street Gateway Enhancement Project.

The scheme will be delivered over the next four-and-a-half years with work set to start next spring.

Plans have been in the pipeline for a number of years for the work, and now a grant of £864,100 to further develop the scheme has been unlocked through the Heritage Lottery Fund's Townscape Heritage scheme, following an initial £40,000 of development funding.

The council has committed £250,000 of match funding to the scheme as part of its wider regeneration plans and £1.1m will come from investment by the owners of the buildings who receive grants.

Under the project, a limited number of grants will be handed out to assist owners with essential repairs and improvements to their properties in Queen Street, one of the most historic streets in the Wolverhampton City Centre Conservation Area.

Councillor Peter Bilson, the council's deputy leader and cabinet member for city assets, said the project will 'breathe new life' into the area.

He said: "We have been working closely with the property owners, and our project partners, to develop proposals.

"This will help breathe new life into the area and its businesses, while at the same time staying true to its history.

"It is a huge boost to the council's Public Realms works and multi-million pound regeneration plans as a whole."

Queen Street contains some of the city's most important historic buildings dating back to the early 19th century.

These include the first dispensary providing medical care for the poor, the first free library and the assembly rooms which were later converted into the County Court.

It became the home of the headquarters for the Express & Star in the 1930s.

The upgrade work will support the ongoing multi-million pound Interchange scheme and improve the pedestrian route from the bus and rail stations and through to the main shopping area.

Anne Jenkins, deputy director of operations at the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: "Thanks to National Lottery players, we're delighted to support a project that not only protects some precious built heritage but also contributes to Wolverhampton's future.

"Townscape Heritage projects are not just about bricks and mortar, they are also about boosting pride in an area and providing opportunities for the people who live and work there."

The Townscape Heritage Partnership includes Wolverhampton BID Company, the Wolverhampton Civic and Historical Society, Wolverhampton Cultural Arts Organisation, Wolverhampton Partners in Progress, Wolverhampton Society of Architects, The Friends of the Archives, Wolverhampton Building Regeneration Preservation Trust and Wolverhampton College.

Under the project there will also be heritage construction skills training in partnership with City of Wolverhampton College, and the development of an app tour of the city conservation area.