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‘Amazing week for Walsall’ as £190 million schemes win planning consent and new ASDA opens - 26 June 2007
The chairman of Walsall Regeneration Company (WRC) has hailed ‘one amazing week for Walsall’ as planning consent was granted for two major development projects and the town’s new ASDA superstore opened for business.
On Monday (25 June) Walsall Council planners backed the £140 million redevelopment of the Manor Hospital that will see outdated buildings replaced with state-of-the-art facilities.
At the same meeting, they also granted consent for the £50 million Waterfront South, an eye-catching scheme near the iconic New Art Gallery that will create 334 canalside homes, along with offices, restaurants and café bars.
The doors have also opened at the town’s new £25 million ASDA store, part of the regeneration of the ‘St Matthew’s Quarter’ in the south east of the town centre.
Ben Reid, chairman of WRC and chair of Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “It seems incredible that less than two years after launching our Prospectus for Growth - WRC’s ‘masterplan’ - the regeneration of Walsall has progressed so rapidly.
“ASDA is open. The ring road is being greatly improved. A new Walsall College is underway as part of a £100 million business and learning campus, with a new Tesco planned. And £70 million of proposals for homes, shops and offices at Waterfront North, including new truly iconic buildings, have already been approved.
“Now with planning consent given for the Manor Hospital and Waterfront South, being developed by Jessup’s, there’s a further £200 million of development on the way.
“It is a massive vote of confidence in the town and a real boost to the economy and well-being of the borough. Coupled with ASDA opening, this has been one amazing week for Walsall.”
WRC chief executive Dr Peter Cromar said that for a council committee to be dealing with £190 million of planning applications in an afternoon ‘has to be pretty unique in the UK’.
The regeneration company has been working closely with developers to ensure the schemes include skills and employment training for local people, as well as providing opportunities for Black Country firms to supply goods and services.
In line with its role in ‘ringmastering’ Walsall’s physical regeneration, WRC is also ensuring the major schemes coming through work together rather than in isolation.
“For these two new developments it is important there is a strong public realm element; public art, lighting, signage, street furniture and planting that links them to create an attractive and safe route from the hospital through Waterfront South to Urban Splash’s Waterfront North scheme and on into the town centre.”
Dr Cromar said creating a vibrant and prosperous Walsall, where people wanted to invest, work, live and spend their leisure time had a key role to play in delivering a resurgent Black Country.
He said: “The Waterfront projects will create nearly 500 canalside homes, along with 180,000 sq ft of high quality offices that will attract new commercial businesses to the town and be complementary to Birmingham.
“Together with the other transformational projects in our Prospectus for Growth, they will make a significant contribution to delivering the Black Country Study which emphases the creation of four strong strategic centres, one of which is Walsall.
“Following this latest demonstration of confidence in Walsall, the regeneration company is clearly keen to encourage other investors to follow the commitment made by Urban Splash and by Jessup.
“We would encourage others with good, creative ideas, particularly around the hotel and leisure sectors, to get in touch.”
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Notes to Editors:
Images of the redevelopment of Walsall Manor Hospital can be found on www.walsallhospitals.nhs.uk.
Images of the Jessup development Waterfront South can be found on www.waterfrontsouth.co.uk.