Bilston reboot gathers pace as link plans approved
The regeneration of Bilston has taken a fresh step forward, after the City of Wolverhampton Council approved its own application to create a public space between Pinfold Street and the High Street.
The Bilston High Street Link project will connect the Bert Williams Leisure Centre and the wider Urban Village development to Bilston town centre via a landscaped public walkway, which is also set to double as an events space.
Plans for the link include a play area, a treelined boulevard and spaces for public art and ‘pop-up’ street catering.
The landscaping will fill a hole in the fabric of the existing High Street, created by the demolition of several derelict buildings in 2024, part of a wider scheme of improvements backed by £20m of funding from the government’s “Pride in Place” fund.
Those improvements include the delayed £8m reconstruction of the town’s market hall, which has seen the town’s market traders temporarily relocated to the link space.
The first day of trading at the rebuilt Bilston market hall is set to be July 2, after which work can begin on the new link.
Councillor Stephen Simkins, City of Wolverhampton Council leader, said: “Now planning approval is in place our focus can turn to delivering the Bilston High Street Link improvements as part of our wider transformation for the town.
“We not only want to enhance this public space to create a better environment – but also make it a thriving space for activities, particularly for the young people of Bilston.
“It is important for our traditional local centres to flourish, and this scheme builds substantially on the steady pipeline of investment that is delivering for Bilston.”
