£10m funds won to link museum to Dudley Zoo

A long-awaited £10 million project to link Dudley Zoo and the Black Country Living Museum moved a step closer today after funding was secured for a 1,000 car park for both attractions.

A new joint entrance will be built for both sites with a link road in a bid to attract one million visitors a year. Now £600,000 has been allocated from the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership's Growing Places fund for the car park, which forms a major part of the scheme.

Up to 480 jobs are expected to be created by the expansion and extra influx of visitors.

Councillor David Sparks, LEP board member and leader of Dudley Council, said: "The allocation of £600,000 of the Growing Places fund will ensure this important project can move forward in the very near future. Dudley's Castle Hill site will bring tremendous benefits to the town and to the wider visitor economy of the Black Country."

The project includes a new joint entrance and visitor centre for the attractions so people can pay to access all the sites together.

A new road will also run between the museum and zoo, from Castle Hill to Tipton Road, while the car park will cater for all the sites.

It will also provide access to Dudley Canal Trust at the back of the museum.