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LOTTERY DECISION IS NOT THE END FOR PUBLIC ARTWORK FOR BLACK COUNTRY GATEWAY - 8th August 2006
Walsall Regeneration Company (WRC) says the disappointing decision not to award lottery funding for an iconic landmark feature over the M6 will not end plans for public artwork to mark the renaissance of Darlaston as the Black Country Gateway.
Its bid for more than £18 million of national lottery cash for the Black Country Gateway came up against intense competition from around the country and missed out on the final shortlist.
However WRC and its partners remain committed to providing a visible statement of Darlaston’s pivotal role in symbolising a revitalised and confident Walsall at the leading edge of the new Black Country. The team who are spearheading regeneration to attract investment, jobs and new homes to the town will now look at creating smaller but eye-catching works of public art to mark the beginnings of the Urban Park.
Ben Reid, chairman of WRC, said: “It is deeply disappointing that the Black Country Gateway, an amazing project that fired people’s imagination, will not be awarded lottery funding. It was a very competitive programme and we won through the tough initial stages. We are awaiting detailed feedback on why our bid was not selected for the shortlist.
“Despite this setback it is still our intention to create public art features, working with the community, to show the wider region and the country that Walsall is changing and has a new spirit of enterprise.”
Dr Peter Cromar, chief executive of WRC, said: “The Big Lottery Fund Living Landmarks initiative was vital in helping to raise the area’s profile and the Gateway Project has attracted not only regional but national publicity. It also encouraged us to review how we can engage more effectively with the local community and their organisations.
“I am clear that this exercise will bring greater strength and sustainability to those relationships through the pioneering work we have started with Walsall Endeavours. While the decision is disappointing I am sure that in the medium to long term the benefits of these new ways of working will become a role model for other regeneration initiatives throughout the country.”
Tony Kemshall, chairman of community organisation Walsall Endeavours, said: “It is a blow to miss out on lottery cash but this is not the end of the matter. Local people are expecting change and can see the potential of working together on the bigger regeneration picture. We look forward to continuing to put enterprise and social economy right at the heart of the agenda for all of the diverse communities of Darlaston and Walsall. New works of public art, while smaller in scale, will nevertheless be a sign that Walsall is reclaiming its rightful position as a leading town in the Black Country and wider region.”
The site for the project, the Darlaston Strategic Development Area (DSDA), has the potential to generate around 3,000 new jobs through the development of high quality logistics and distribution operations and associated businesses.
Consultants Bucknall Austin are currently leading a team of implementation and remediation experts who are carrying out a comprehensive study of the DSDA to finalise the best way to deliver its transformation. Their strategy is due to go before WRC’s board in late September or early October.
The regeneration of the Darlaston site is seen as a crucial building block in the creation of a revitalised Walsall and wider Black Country. It is one of eight key transformational projects identified by WRC in its regeneration framework.
The lottery funding sought was completely separate to the £755 million in private and public sector investment that WRC is looking to attract over the next 10 to 15 years.
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For further information please contact Lorna Bishop or Nigel Pipkin at Seal Communications on 0121 200 0780 or email lornabishop@sealcommunications.co.uk