Canalside communities
Along the canal to the north and south of the town centre, new residential development will be established in appropriate areas to regenerate under-utilised and brownfield land. This programme has a number of complementary projects, such as Smith’s Flour Mill (which is nearing completion), Waterfront and Hollyhedge Lane (which have both been granted planning permission), along with several other development sites, which are helping towards the WRC’s target of building 200 new homes per year during its lifetime.
Developments include:
- The Caparo site in Birchills is a16 acre site which will provide up to 310 homes with a focus on high quality design and sustainability. View the Caparo site planning application.
- Smith’s Flour Mill uses part of the locally listed mill buildings to create 132 new apartments, and is nearing completion. View the Smith's Flour Mill planning application.
- Hollyhedge Lane – 90 flats and 33 houses in a high quality lock-side development. View the Hollyhedge Lane planning application.
The programme is looking to improve the quality and choice of housing in Walsall: to revitalise under-utilised land into attractive environments, link new and existing neighbourhoods along the Walsall Canal, and attract people to live in the Borough. It is also an important element in delivering some of the other regeneration activities, such as attracting higher quality jobs into the Office Corridor and better retail and leisure providers. Residential schemes can seek Section 106 contributions, and these will be pursued to gain investment in affordable housing, public open space, education/healthcare provision, the canal corridor, and transport and highway network improvements.
Furthermore, as part of the Office Corridor/Gigaport, WRC are seeking to extend the fibre optic network into the Birchills community. As well as phone, video and internet services, this would provide community involvement in local TV production, health and social care, video conferencing, and home security systems, amongst other ‘e-Wellbeing’ services. The future regeneration of the Birchills community will be the subject of a strategic regeneration framework study in the coming months, and the initiatives described above will be key elements of this study.
Contact us
Regeneration
2nd Floor, Civic Centre
Darwall Street
Walsall
WS1 1TP
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This page was last updated on 02 July 2010
