Projects: Wednesbury High Street Heritage Action Zone
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Investment£3,400,000 grant from Historic England
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Timeline
Start: March 2020
Delivery: March 2024
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LocationWednesbury
The Wednesbury HSHAZ (or High Street Heritage Action Zone) is an initiative funded by Historic England to restore, enhance and celebrate Wednesbury’s historic town centre. Works to restore the Grade II Listed Clocktower in Market Square were completed in Summer 2022. The project is also funding the relocation of the outdoor market back to the Market Square with new market stalls; new high-quality paving for the Square; and restoration works to historic shopfronts. In the meantime, there will be a programme of cultural events to engage the community with the project and to instil a legacy of community pride and ownership.
The project will deliver:
- Improvements to shopfronts and buildings within the town’s conservation area to revitalise the town centre, the possible introduction of more homes through first floor conversions, and the creation of a more enjoyable experience for residents and visitors;
- Public realm improvements including repaving with high quality materials, planting trees and replacing street furniture, to create a safer space for pedestrians and shoppers; and
- Cultural activities to engage the community with the local high street.
November 2022: The public realm improvements to Market Place, featuring high-quality paving materials, the enlarging of the pedestrian space to create a multi-use event space and the relocation of the open-air market to Market Place and the top of Union Street is now complete.