Walsall is on the ‘verge of a renaissance’ as latest updates have been provided on the borough’s £1.5 billion programme of transformation.
Portfolio holder for regeneration, Councillor Adrian Andrew, has vowed that demolition of two buildings on Park Street, creating an open plaza between the Saddlers Centre and the bus station, will commence in January 2026.
He said demolition works could have started even sooner but decided that leaving the town centre as a building site over the Christmas period wouldn’t be well received.
The project, titled the Connected Gateway, is set to cost £40 million. £11 million of that is government funded through the Future High Streets Fund, and the remaining balance is funded by Walsall Council.
A CGI video of how the Saddlers Centre will look once complete, estimated at the end of 2027, shows double height shop frontages, lots of natural lighting, seating, and a direct, clear link to the railway station.
The renovation of the Bradford Mall, the lower part of the Saddlers Centre, is already underway and expected to be complete in a matter of weeks.
Councillor Andrew said: “Walsall is on the verge of a renaissance. There will be some incredible changes there. It’s a really ambitious programme in order to really make Walsall punch above its weight.”
Elsewhere in the town centre, £6 million is being spent on a new public realm outside Gallery Square and the top end of Park Street, a new canal footbridge linking the Crown Wharf Retail Park and waterfront apartments near Boulevard Walk, a new ‘canal maintenance barge’ called Sister Dora, and improvements to the canal basin. Of the £6 million, £4.5 million is from government funding.
There were very few updates around the town’s market plans, the relocation of the Walsall Arena or the Leather Museum.
Earlier this year a review was carried out into the three Walsall markets, costing £22,090, and several recommendations were made including the creation of an outdoor and indoor market offer.
But no updates were provided as to whether any of the recommendations would be taken on board or what the future held for the market.
In response to the relocation of Walsall Arena, Councillor Andrew confirmed that the council had bought several town centre sites through the government’s Community Regeneration Partnership fund.
He said ‘a couple’ of these locations were being assessed as a potential new home for the much-loved arena, currently based on Hawbush Road, Leamore.
No updates were provided on the proposed relocation of the Leather Museum.
Councillor Bird said: “The leather museum is a bit out of town to be fair. The building is one thing but what’s inside is important. If we move that somewhere else, in an area where people are, the products and exhibits will become more attractive.”
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