Work on Bilston Urban Village homes set to start
Work to create a 500 home development as part of the £176m Bilston Urban Village project will start next week.
Once completed the site, located to the south of the Bert Williams leisure centre and Black Country Route, will include extensive areas of open space, footpaths and a water feature – while new food and drink outlets are set to be built opposite the leisure centre on Nettlefolds Way as part of plans to regenerate the town and Wolverhampton as a whole.
The housing development forms part of the wider urban village project, which will also see a new pedestrian link created to link the town centre together with the new residential area.
Wolverhampton City Council and the Homes and Communities Agency are investing £7.5million towards the Urban Village, with private investment making up the rest of the cash.
Councillor Peter Bilson, Wolverhampton's economy boss, said Bilston should be thriving when the work is done.
He said: "Work is continuing to progress on the Bilston Urban Village project with the majority of the site now being prepared for housing.
"People and business will be encouraged to see the scheme moving forward – from the High Street renovation and new walkway to the imminent announcement of developers to carry out the scheme.
"The urban village will be a key part of the wider regeneration of the city, bringing new homes, new jobs and more investment.
"It demonstrates our commitment to Bilston and ensures it will continue to be a thriving area."
Demolition of derelict buildings on Bilston High Street has now been completed.
This will enable further new developments and the completion of a pedestrian link from the town centre to the Bert Williams leisure centre and other new facilities.
The £2.5 million pedestrian link will be surrounded by a temporary landscaped open space just off the High Street, although development plans for this area have yet to be finalised.
Plans for the High Street link were approved in 2010 and the buildings were compulsory purchased by the city council.
The full urban village proposals were unveiled in March last year.
Plans also include the removal of the former railway embankment between Coseley Road and South Wolverhampton and Bilston Academy and new road junctions in Coseley Road and Highfields Road.
