10 incredible plans and developments in place across West Midlands which will change the views before our eyes
There are developments and plans in place to redevelop, build up and change how people see their towns and cities across the West Midlands.
Across the West Midlands, Staffordshire and Wyre Forest, plans are in place to redevelop how city centres and town squares look, from new housing developments to ambitious projects to revive city centres and from new shops to popular chains coming to major shopping centres.
We've taken a look at the plans which are set to dramatically change and bring a new look to areas across the region, whether that is simply changing how a street looks to a new transport system or a whole new look to a town or city centre, and can reveal 10 of the biggest and best ones in the pipeline.
City Centre West project in Wolverhampton
The scheme, which is the city’s largest regeneration proposal in Wolverhampton’s local plan, covers five hectares and includes the former Westside development area.
The development is a collaboration between the council and the English Cities fund, which is a partnership between Muse, Legal and General and Homes England specialising regeneration projects.
As part of the scheme, there will be 1,000 new homes, including affordable homes, and 70,000 square feet of retail, leisure and commercial space and covers a 12-acre site linking School Street and Darlington Street and the area around Market Square.
Canalside South regeneration scheme in Wolverhampton
Canalside South is one of the biggest regeneration projects of its kind in the region.
Having lain derelict for 15 years, the brownfield site will be transformed into more than 530 energy-efficient homes, complemented by a range of new commercial and community amenities.
The overall vision for the Wolverhampton Canalside masterplan is to meet both the city and wider region’s housing needs, with sustainability and place-making at its heart.
Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension
The Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension forms part of Transport for West Midland’s plan to regenerate public transport in the region.
The project will be delivered in two phases, with the first seeing trams travel 6.5 kilometres through Sandwell to Dudley town centre, serving a new terminus at Flood Street, with convenient interchanges with local bus and rail services along the new route.
In the second phase of the project the route will be extended a further 4 kilometres to Brierley Hill, at Merry Hill Waterfront.
The second phase is expected to see construction ramp up in 2025, concurrently with finishing works for phase one of the scheme.
As well as the work to extend the Metro to Brierley Hill, there is also work taking place to create a new state-of-the-art transport hub that will allow passengers to utilize bus services and the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension.
The Dudley Interchange is set to provide significant improvement to local transport and connectivity for Dudley, and is part of the general regeneration of the Town Centre.
The work began in January 2024 with the closing and demolition of Dudley Bus Station and is scheduled to conclude in July, with Transport for West Midlands saying that there would be a world class multimodal facility with improved waiting and interchange facilities with enhanced real-time passenger information.
Wednesbury Town Centre Masterplan
The Wednesbury Town Centre Masterplan has set out a plan for the town for the next 10-15 years, setting out the priorities to revitalise the town centre as the vibrant heart of Wednesbury.
The Wednesbury Masterplan is part of a £3 billion Regeneration Pipeline aimed at transforming multiple areas across Sandwell, as well as attracting new investment, create training opportunities and generate jobs for local people.
The Masterplan has been developed with funding from the Government as part of a partnership between the Council and the Government and is part of the Levelling Up Partnership overseen by the Wednesbury Levelling Up Partnership Board.
The West Bromwich Town Centre Masterplan aims to act as a catalyst for ongoing and new regeneration schemes for the town, unlocking further opportunities to boost the town’s future economic growth and long-term prosperity.
The Masterplan underpins projects already identified under the West Bromwich Town Investment Plan and aims to further boost business confidence in a number of business sites.
These include a new Metro gateway plus a new Town Square for events with high quality public spaces, new green links, squares, parks and improvements to the sustainable transport network and a major mixed-use community including residential and employment opportunities.
One of the most successful and popular markets in Wolverhampton, Bilston Market is undergoing a major restoration and refurbishment.
The new-look market will be connected to extensive public space improvements and Bilston’s public transport hub.
The plans include the enhancement of the entrance off the Black Country Route, reorganisation and refurbishment of the indoor and outdoor markets, the introduction of new retail units and public toilets, the provision of a flexible space where events can be hosted, and a taller canopy to cover the stalls in the outdoor market.
Funding of £5.2 million from the Towns Fund will support the market redevelopment, which is also part of the transformative Bilston Health & Regeneration Programme (HaRP).
The Stafford Station Gateway regeneration scheme will bring a hotel, a multi-storey car park, new businesses and homes to brownfield land behind the railway station.
In November 2023, Stafford Council secured £20 million of Levelling Up Funding to unlock the development potential of the 28 hectare site.
A new £22.5 million Institute of Technology for the Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group, and backed by Keele University, Siemens, and Dell among others, is already under construction on part of the Gateway site.
The transformation of the Former Magistrates' Court is Kidderminster town centre is now complete, and the resulting Old Court is open for business.
The renovation of the new facility, commissioned and managed by Wyre Forest District Council, has restored and maximised the potential of the whole site as Kidderminster’s business and creative hub.
The building now provides 1,800 sqm of high-quality office and event space available to rent, alongside county wide innovation projects newly installed into the building.
The work is nearing completion for a flood defence which aims to prevent the annual scenes of flooded streets across the Beales Corner section of Bewdley.
The new protection consists of a combination of demountable flood barriers and permanent raised walls with glass panels on top to maintain views across the river.
Once complete, the scheme will provide decades of invaluable service to the community, reducing flood risk for more than 50 properties and maintaining access to 160 businesses, as well as schools and other public services in the town.
The project will replace the low-level temporary flood barriers currently used and provide a far higher standard of flood protection.
