Five town centres chosen for revitalisation programme

Andy Street with senior figures in Walsall discussing the town centre's future prospects

Five town centres in the West Midlands have been chosen for a pilot programme of intervention to revitalise struggling areas.

There have been a number of high profile retail closures this year, including Poundworld and Maplin while Marks & Spencer, New Look and Mothercare have closed stores.

Such closures tend to disproportionately affect smaller town centres with lower footfall that are already losing the battle against online shopping.

The West Midlands Combined Authority project has chosen Bilston, St Thomas Quarter in Dudley, Bordesley Green in Birmingham, St Matthews Quarter in Walsall and West Bromwich.

It will combine funding, expertise and support from the WMCA and other partners and be delivered by councils. The programme is tailored to the needs of each individual centre.

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, who spent nearly a decade as managing director of John Lewis before entering politics, said: “The future of the high street will not only be about shops, it will be about public services, homes, small businesses and community activities.

“There are many opportunities for our high streets. We must find a positive future for them which embraces technological change. The future of our communities depends upon it.”

A Regional Task Force is also being created to bring together experts from retail, finance, housing, universities and Government to share their knowledge and lend support to the programme.

Further town centres will be eligible for a second wave of support next year, building on the experience from the first wave of centres.

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