Big developments planned for Walsall in 2020

Major transport projects, new homes, boosting business and reviving the retail offer and improving town centres are high on the agenda for council bosses in 2020.

Work on a £78 million upgrade of Junction 10 of the M6, which is aimed at easing congestion problems, is due to begin in January.

Existing bridges that go over the 50-year-old junction will be replaced with two, wider four lane structures that will increase capacity at the bottleneck.

It is a joint venture between Highways England and Walsall Council and bosses believe it will improve safety, cut traffic jams and enhance access to the town.

Meanwhile progress on the new £36 million A&E at the town’s hospital is expected to continue in 2020.

The Government signed off the Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust bid for funding to carry out the project to replace outdated facilities no longer fit for purpose.

Trust bosses said the design and pre-construction work is anticipated to be completed by mid-January and enabling works finished by Spring. It is hoped the new A&E will be open to patients in 2022.

Council leader Mike Bird said: “We’re looking forward to seeing the extension of the Manor Hospital thanks to MP Eddie Hughes getting the money for us.

“That is somewhere off at the moment but the incoming Government has got to be held to task – ‘you promised this so now you have to deliver’.”

And work on building more than 250 houses on the old Caparo factory in Old Birchills could begin in the New Year.

Walsall Council has granted outline planning permission to the plan by Walsall Housing Group (WHG) and Lovell Partnership to transform the former engineering site based in Old Birchills.

The land, which has lain empty for over a decade, was acquired under a joint venture partnership between WHG-owned Anthem Homes and Lovell.

Planning applications to bring train stations back to Willenhall and Darlaston for the first time in more than 50 years are expected to be submitted in the next few months.

Earlier this year, Transport for West Midlands unveiled what the facilities will look like with Darlaston’s new facility based on derelict land next to Kendricks Road bridge and Willenhall sited next to Bilston Street railway bridge.

Regeneration bosses hailed the proposals, saying they will provide a huge economic boost for both Walsall and Wolverhampton.

Ambitions to bring back rail services to Aldridge are also on the agenda but “a little further down the line” in terms of progress.

And the disused HM Revenue and Customs offices in Midland Road, near the town centre, will finally be back in use after Poundland announced it is moving its HQ there.

Poundland purchased Pattinson House, which has stood empty for several years, and will move its distribution centre and customer services operation to the site.

As part of the shake-up by the company, the existing distribution operation in Wellmans Road, Willenhall, will move to the existing logistics centre in Bilston.

A number of jobs could be at risk of redundancy but the company said it expects new roles to be created in Bilston.

The long-running saga of Phoenix 10 – the former copperworks site – between junction 9 and 10 of the M6 motorway – could also finally be coming to an end.

Work to decontaminate the 16.5 hectare site is expected to start in 2020 with plans to create a number of industrial units, bringing more than a 1,000 jobs to the area.

It has lay empty for around 20 years and the site is currently owned by Walsall Council and Homes England.

Also the long-term blueprint to transform Walsall’s ailing town centre was launched this year and council bosses said they will be looking to continue to progress that in 2020.

Initial works to clean up the town centre and discourage anti-social behaviour has already started and Walsall Council leader Mike Bird said the revamp will continue as they look to diversify the look of the area and encourage growth with new ideas.