Projects: Wednesbury Building Improvement Scheme

This initiative is part of the Wednesbury Levelling Up Partnership and marks the first phase of delivering the Wednesbury Town Centre Masterplan. 

During previous consultation and engagement sessions, many residents raised concerns about the condition of buildings in the town centre. Since Sandwell Council does not own these properties, its influence on encouraging upgrades has been limited. This issue became especially clear during the Wednesbury High Street Heritage Action Zone project, which offered grants covering up to 80% of restoration costs for heritage buildings. Unfortunately, many property owners found the required 20% match funding unaffordable.

Due to underspend from a site improvement project within the Levelling Up Partnership Programme, additional capital funding has become available. This funding will now be used to offer 100% grants for priority buildings requiring significant improvements to their frontages. The aim is to enhance the overall appearance of Wednesbury town centre and address concerns raised by local residents and stakeholders.

Following a thorough review of options, the Wednesbury Levelling Up Partnership Board approved this grant approach, recognising it as the most impactful way to support town centre regeneration. A legal review has also been completed to ensure full compliance with subsidy control regulations.

Criteria for Selecting Priority Buildings

The selection of buildings eligible for funding is based on the following criteria: –

• Location – Close proximity to the main shopping streets
• Visual Improvement – Potential to raise the profile and appearance of buildings, attracting more visitors
• Clustering – Grouping of nearby buildings to maximise visual impact
• Conservation Value – Contribution to the Wednesbury Conservation Area, including listed building status and findings from the Conservation Area Appraisal

We’ve developed criteria to identify which properties will benefit from the scheme. These include:

The council is currently engaging with property owners to further develop the project. Works are expected to commence and conclude in 2025.