Busy area of Wolverhampton gets makeover

A revamped market, new seating areas, cycle racks and feature artwork have been introduced in an area of the Black Country – under a community-led approach to boost its look.

Thanks to funding secured by Wolverhampton's Town Deal Board, improvements have been made in Wednesfield to benefit local residents, as well as visitors.

The improvements were made in partnership with Wolverhampton Council, market traders, businesses, local schools, young people and community groups.

It is part of the works undertaken from the £1 million Government Towns Fund Accelerator Grant – and the money has been used to support the work in Wednesfield, as well as projects in Bilston and the city centre.

Improvements made include a new layout for the market, following consultation with traders. Stalls have been refurbished to offer better protection, with replacement roofs and side covers featuring new artwork.

A new cycle rack has been installed next to the town paths for the canal, and existing cycle hoops have been repositioned to locations which encourage them to be used. New seating areas have been created and additional seating is due to be introduced.

Bealeys Fold has been repainted and cleaned, students from Wednesfield High School are creating and replacing damaged and missing tiles from the mural and replacement LED lights have been installed, creating an inviting passage from the car park to the High Street.

Students from the school have also been creating new artwork for window vinyls, which are due to be installed soon, and have also been working on a new sculpture for the Wood End Road and Lichfield Road island to create a gateway into the village.

Members of Wednesfield History Society and Wednesfield in Bloom have been involved in the projects with the students to help capture details relevant to the local area.

Jay Baso, chair of Wednesfield Village Business Alliance, said: “This has been a real community project, with businesses, residents, traders and local organisations involved from the very start to help identify where this money needed to be spent and the ways it would most benefit Wednesfield.

“It’s been really important for us to share our views with the Council to give an accurate picture of what the town needs. This has helped us to build a genuine relationship and enabled us to gain trust from each other.

“The ideas from local businesses, traders and organisations have been listened to which has been really important to us. The project has gone from strength to strength and has created really strong relationships for the future. Thank you to Wolverhampton Council officers and MP Jane Stevenson for their support in the project.”

Councillor Steve Evans, Wolverhampton Council's cabinet member for city environment, added: “I would like to thank everyone in the local community who has been so committed to this project. The work is a wonderful example of what pulling together as a community can achieve.

“We’re proud to be working so closely with businesses, traders, schools and community groups who have given us such valuable insights into what is needed to make the very most of this funding and make Wednesfield a great place to live, work and visit.”