West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has pledged to appoint a new Black Country Regeneration Commissioner to help local councils speed up the regeneration of town centres – spending a £1 billion war chest.
In the Black Country, huge amounts of cash are available for projects: More than £180 million for 16 projects in Wolverhampton, £367 million for 14 projects in Dudley, £175 million for 24 projects in Sandwell and £160 million for 15 projects in Walsall.
Andy said the new commissioner would ensure the pace of regeneration is delivered more quickly across the Black Country, working with councils to help them access funds, develop plans and stop high street projects from stalling.
The commissioner would work with the Mayor to:
Use the Combined Authority’s expert team and powers to directly intervene in schemes, to accelerate them where this is appropriate.
Work with local councils and all partners to deliver these projects at pace: on time and on budget.
Deploy the £1 billion of funding effectively so we see real change in our high streets and local centres.
Andy said: “As a region, we have won over £1 billion of new Government funding for local centres and high streets, supporting local authorities with their bids, and securing additional investment through the Combined Authority.
“This was a huge team effort, with local MPs working with local councils, local business leaders, the Combined Authority and myself. Local councils, particularly in the Black Country, deserve credit for their work in securing this new investment in our region.
“However, all councils can face challenges in delivering projects, and it’s important that we come together as a region to find ways of speeding up the process. City centres, town centres and high streets mean a great deal to local people, and they want to see all this investment deliver results.
“The key now is to spend the cash effectively, so it actually makes our high streets and town centres visibly more appealing, more sustainable for local businesses, and better all-round for local people.
“People want to see results – that’s where the commissioner would come in, to help support councils and speed up that delivery.”
Andy is also pledging to set up a new ‘First Impressions’ Fund to allow community groups to clean up and improve their areas – particularly focusing on areas where there are not existing funding sources like Business Improvement Districts.
Some of the investment projects in the Black Country:
DUDLEY
WMCA and Government Funding Secured: Over £367 million for 14 projects.
Projects include:
Metro extension to Dudley, opening this year after being talked about for over 30 years.
Health Innovation Dudley, redeveloping the former Dudley Hippodrome site into a new higher education facility training young people in health and life sciences courses.
Dudley Town Partnership, which has access to £20 million of Government funding to improve the town centre.
£20 million Levelling Up Fund investment for Halesowen to regenerate the town centre.
Brierley Hill Future High Streets Fund improving paving, planting and street furniture along the high street, improving the road junctions, renovating Brierley Hill library, and providing a new children’s area.
SANDWELL
WMCA and Government Funding Secured: Over £175 million for 24 projects.
Projects include:
Smethwick Town Partnership, which has access to £20 million of Government funding to improve the town centre.
Midland Metropolitan University Hospital Learning Campus, building a new education centre to train up more healthcare professionals.
Cradley Heath Skills Centre, turning a car park into an education centre in conjunction with Sandwell College.
Making the Great Bridge Metro stop well-connected for pedestrians, cyclists and bus users to local destinations.
Cleaning up the former foundry site on Fountain Lane Oldbury to provide over 200 new homes.
Tipton town centre regeneration, redevelopment properties on Owen Street and Union Street for both housing and commercial uses.
Wednesbury High Street Heritage Action Zone, improving the public space in Market Square, and restoring shopfronts.
Demolition of the derelict car park at Bull Street, West Bromwich and bringing forward a new retail, office and residential development.
WALSALL
WMCA and Government Funding Secured: Over £160 million for 15 projects.
Projects include:
Opening a new rail station at Aldridge, providing direct connections to Walsall and Birmingham New Street.
Construction project to build, retrofit and refurbish over 250 homes across Bloxwich, while training young people in construction skills with Walsall College.
Darlaston Town Partnership, which has access to £20 million of Government funding to improve the town centre.
Redeveloping new homes through the Willenhall Garden City project, and improving the walking and cycling links to the new Willenhall station.
Redeveloping the Guildhall building on the high street into a creative and business centre with a cafe and community spaces.
Improving the area around the New Art Gallery and the canal basin.
Developing a new community learning campus on the high street in Walsall Town centre.
WOLVERHAMPTON
WMCA and Government Funding Secured: Over £180 million for 16 projects.
Projects include:
Bilston Town Partnership, which has access to £20 million of Government funding to improve the town centre.
Redevelop Bilston market to provide new space under an improved canopy, with
Major renovation programme to support City of Wolverhampton College, and develop the new City Centre Learning Quarter around Old Hall Street.
New cycling, walking and bus routes across the city centre, and improved public spaces with new planting and street furniture.
Other ways Andy will help Black Country town centres and high streets:
If re-elected, Andy will continue to back local schemes with WMCA funding, and attract further funding from Government. He will bring in private sector experts to support our councils in how to sustainably improve our local centres, and attract new business investment in local centres.
Crucially, he will ensure that town centre improvements are co-ordinated with the improvements to transport which are being made across the network.
He will also use the Combined Authority’s expert team and powers to directly intervene in stalled schemes to accelerate them where this is appropriate, and keep up the pressure on local councils and all partners to deliver these projects at pace - on time and on budget.
Support local authority planning departments where possible using WMCA resources and staff, to speed up the development process in the region, and champion the case for Government to permit the ringfencing of income for council planning departments.
Push through a number of priority schemes in local centres, for example: Portersfield in Dudley, following the arrival of the Metro later this year and Ravenscourt in Brownhills.