Ten-year multi-million-pound vision for Bilston set for approval next week

City of Wolverhampton Council’s cabinet meets to discuss decade-long ‘pride in place’ regeneration plans that will see £20m spent on improving Bilston across the next decade.

The Labour-run authority has been asked to approve the ‘ten-year vision, four-year investment plan’ that will see the town’s high street cleaned-up and revamped alongside improvements to parks, green spaces and play areas, improved community facilities, and the return of Bilston Carnival for the first time in 18 years.

A ‘pride in place’ board, made up of local community, business and public sector representatives, will be the main decision-making body for the town’s decade-long £20m regeneration plans and it says it will focus on creating a ‘safer, cleaner and vibrant’ Bilston and ensure young people are “actively involved in shaping the town’s future.”

The project would also see investment in community hubs, local heritage, arts and community events across all age groups and backgrounds.

The ‘priority’ work for the next four years, according to the board, has promised an “intense clean up” of Bilston High Street including improvements to lighting, new benches, CCTV, new public art and bollards.

The town’s parks, green spaces and play areas would also benefit from improvements and money would be set aside to improve community centres and other similar facilities.

The ‘pride in place’ regeneration project would also see the return of the Bilston Carnival which was last held in the town in 2008.

The carnival would become an annual flagship event along a wider series of events aimed at “driving footfall and providing activities for the people of Bilston, as well as providing opportunities to celebrate the history and heritage of the town.”

Improved signs and public art would provide new walking trails highlighting the town’s history and heritage.

Cllr Stephen Simkins, leader of Labour-run City of Wolverhampton Council, said the regeneration plan was “not just a list of projects [but] a long-term commitment to Bilston’s people, shaped locally and backed by major investment” and the return of the town’s carnival was a “powerful symbol of what this programme is all about: community pride, connection and celebration.”

“Over the next decade, residents will see improvements in community facilities, safer public spaces, upgraded high streets, revitalised parks and new opportunities for young people,” he said, and the town’s wider regeneration projects would help build a “thriving, inclusive and empowered Bilston for generations to come.”

Bilston North councillor Linda Leach said: “Our youngsters especially deserve places where they can grow, create and feel they belong” and the carnival “would help rebuild that sense of togetherness, connecting generations and celebrating what makes this town special.

The council said the regeneration plan was put together after speaking with more than 1,000 locals.

The consultation found that people valued Bilston’s “strong community spirit, friendly atmosphere, market heritage, and good transport links” but wanted to see the town cleaner, safer, and more vibrant with better shops, parks, lighting, and community spaces.

Locals said they wanted a “place they could be proud of” with “more activities for young people, thriving green spaces, and a lively, welcoming town centre that celebrates Bilston’s identity and heritage.”

Josie Kelly, the board’s chair, said: “This is a community‑led plan through and through – built from months of local conversations and rooted in what people told us matters most: feeling safer, feeling proud, and seeing Bilston thrive again.

Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden added: “From the return of Bilston Carnival in 2026 to continued investment in transport, housing and our town centre, this programme shows what we can achieve when we work together to build a Bilston we can be proud of.”

A new £20m health and wellbeing hub is also set to be built in Bilston, next to the town’s Bert Williams leisure centre, and £9m improvements to the town’s market are set to finally be completed in the summer after months of delays.

Work also continues on the £28m Foundry Business Park which includes 15 new units.

Julie Emery, who represents Bilston Market on the board, said: “The market has always been at the heart of the town, and traders are excited to see investment that improves both the look and feel of our public spaces.

“Cleaner streets and more footfall are good for business and good for the community.”

Board member Pamela Cole-Hudson from the Gazebo Theatre, said a “revitalised” events programme for Bilston was an “exciting turning point” and the return of Bilston Carnival would provide a “canvas for local artists, performers and community groups to celebrate the best of Bilston.”

Bilston was included in the previous Conservative government’s ‘Long Term Plan for Towns’ in 2023 which included £20m funding across the next decade.

The plan was renamed Plan for Neighbourhoods by Labour last year following the change in government in 2024 and forms part of its ‘Pride in Place’ programme which has the aim of “fixing the foundations of places most left behind.”

Bilston’s ‘pride in place’ board will be chaired by Josie Kelly, chief executive of Access 2 Business, and will be made up of council leader Stephen Simkins, Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden, Bilston North councillor Linda Leach, deputy police and crime commissioner Wasim Ali, Chief Superintendent Anthony Tagg from West Midlands Police, Peter Merry from City of Wolverhampton College, Sergeant Robert Pritchard of Bilston Business Improvement District (BID), Pamela Cole-Hudson from Gazebo Theatre, Anna-Maria McAuliffe from McAuliffe Group, Fraser Tranter of the Robin 2, Julie Emery from Bilston Market, Jean Hill from Lower Bradley Community Association and representatives from the City of Wolverhampton Youth Council.