Walsall celebrates £65m Waterfront project

Some 42 properties, known as the Waves complex, were the last of 322 homes to be built in three blocks along the South Waterfront development in the town centre. These have now gone on the market.

The scheme, which was begun in February 2010, has gradually transformed the area near to the prestigious New Art Gallery.

Cannock-based developer Jessup has been behind the project which saw the first phase – an 111-apartment block and 22 houses – finished in Easter 2011.

Two sets of 82-block apartments have since been built. It is part of plans to transform the land around Wolverhampton Street where a £10 million Premier Inn opened last year.

On Saturday, Councillor Adrian Andrew, deputy leader of Walsall Council, held a formal completion ceremony at the site.

Visitors were offered trips along the canal through the town over the weekend to get a vantage-point view of the latest two-bedroom apartments to go on sale.

Jessup spokesman Ian Jackson said the future of a remaining piece of land, to be used for commercial properties, would soon be announced.

"Saturday was about saying thank you to a lot of people who made the development happen," he said. The vision for the overall Walsall Waterfront is to transform 17 acres and create a picturesque canalside quarter.

A new specialist maternity centre for up to 1,000 women a year opened at the Homer Building in Charles Street as part of the scheme.

The building was revamped as a birthing unit to ease growing pressure on Walsall Manor Hospital, which is having to accommodate more births.

Elsewhere in the town, the Manor Hospital has been redeveloped, and a new college and Tesco supermarket have been built within the last few years.

Mr Jackson said many of the apartments near the art gallery had been snapped up by the NHS as accommodation for doctors and other medics working at the hospital.