Masterplan for West Bromwich given the go-ahead

Ambitious plans to regenerate and revitalise West Bromwich Town Centre over the coming decades have been approved by Sandwell’s Cabinet (9 February).

The West Bromwich Masterplan and the West Bromwich Interim Planning Statement were given the green light, following a robust public consultation held in July and August last year.

Regeneration bosses hope that the Masterplan will 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.

Feedback from the consultation showed there was overwhelming support for change with more than 80 per cent of respondents supporting the plan and future regeneration of the town centre.

The Masterplan underpins the projects already identified under the Town Investment Plan and aims to further boost business confidence in a number of business sites by creating:
• 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;
• a major mixed-use community including residential and employment creating a vibrant, active and sustainable town centre.

The council expects the Masterplan to generate:
• 1,359 new homes;
• £6.6 million extra expenditure by new residents in West Bromwich;
• 1,740 new jobs;
• 12,000m2 of new retail floor space -replacing 30,000m2 of out-of-date and vacant retail floorspace;
• significant health, education and community uses;
• Improved public transport accessibility.

Councillor Iqbal Padda, Sandwell’s cabinet member for regeneration, said: “I’d like to thank everyone – individuals, community groups and businesses – who took the time to give their feedback on our proposals for a new, dynamic vision for the town centre.

“The role of town centres is altering because of changing consumer patterns, increased online shopping and high rents resulting in businesses closing, and this has been made worse with the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We want the Masterplan to act as a catalyst for change, so we can tackle and reverse the general decline of the town centre. We want to look at how we can transform existing spaces in the town centre to new uses, such as creating residential homes.

“We also need to make sure we take advantage of the opportunities created as a result of the significant Town Deal funding we’ve successfully bid for. The Masterplan will provide a single vision and strategy and will also make sure we take full advantage of the unique opportunities created as a result of the significant Town Deal funding we’ve successfully bid for.

“This is a long-term vision for the next 20 years which I believe will boost confidence and generate significant investment, securing future growth and prosperity.”