Creative space plan for historic buildings
A new centre to encourage people with creative skills to thrive looks set to be opened in historic buildings in Walsall town centre.
Walsall Council is looking to take over the Grade II Listed former court house The Guildhall, on High Street, as part of its plan to create the Creative Industries Enterprise Centre.
A planning application states the authority wants to support businesses in the sector and is looking to create workspaces, meeting rooms, exhibition areas, a café and tap room.
The Guildhall is one of three buildings earmarked for the project with the adjoining former police station – also Grade II Listed – and an old restaurant on Goodall Street being the others that will form the whole site.
A decision on the application for The Guildhall is expected to be made by Walsall Council planning officers in August.
The authority said: “The Creative Industries Enterprise Centre will provide an opportunity to those with creative skills and industry knowledge seeking an innovative and alternative avenue from which to find employment.
“It will form part of a wider town ecosystem designed to support creative industries success as well as supporting the future health and vitality of the town centre.
“We are proposing to create the platform for modern business practice, encourage greater collaborations, reverse a declining trend in business start-up rates locally and encourage new enterprise and innovation.
“But at present our town has traditionally very little by way of dedicated innovation infrastructure beyond some softer initiatives.
“Creating this marketspace will allow people (young and old) to nurture the basic human desire to make, and give access to, tools and equipment that are not commercially available to the public.
“Through talks, classes, workshops, collaborative projects and other activities we want to encourage research, knowledge exchange, learning and mentoring and workspaces for projects related to art, science and technology.
“The project will provide creative individuals the space and facilities to run their own business and support them as their businesses grow.
“The new larger premise in the town centre presents a unique opportunity to implement many of the current plans and activities and identified future opportunities such as enhanced makerspace, café/informal meeting space, tap room, artisan workspace, meeting rooms and craft retail outlets.
“The project aims to secure one of three historical properties fronting the High Street in the St Matthews Quarter, which are currently neglected and vacant and bring them back into economic use bringing vitality and life back to this area.”
