New package of investment set to help improve town centre access

A £3 million package of improvements is being drawn up to help make it easier for shoppers to get in and around Stourbridge town centre through alternative means of transport.

Dudley Council has drawn up blueprints for a range of walking and cycling improvements as part of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) funding bid, with the business case drawn up and submitted to the combined authority.

It is also looking to fund a £100,000 pocket park in the town centre to make better use of space and the council is also looking at extending the town’s conservation area once the funding is secured.

The proposals would be subject to a public consultation later this year and the CRSTS business case will then require approval from the West Midlands Combined Authority once signed off by the council’s cabinet.

The consultation will allow local people to have their say on the details of the proposals before work starts.

Councillor Paul Bradley, deputy leader of the council, said: "These are exciting draft proposals and when they come to fruition they will help bring more people into the town by alternative methods.

"That is also good news for businesses and it’s vital we continue to invest in our town centres in this way so that they can thrive.

"We will begin working on the detail of the proposals but local people must be at the heart of that, giving them an opportunity to help shape this exciting future for Stourbridge town centre."

This new plan will fit in alongside a £59,000 public art project in the town and the £70,000 changing places toilet facilities in Stourbridge Town Hall.

The public art project is due to complete in the spring next year and is funded by Community Infrastructure Levy, while the changing places toilet facility is expected to be open in spring next year and is funded from Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Muscular Dystrophy UK.