‘Thousands of jobs and £800m investment’ for town
AN INVESTMENT of £800m and up to 4,000 new jobs are being predicted by council leaders in Walsall a year after its much maligned new ring road opened.
The message from Walsall Council comes as a plaque is unveiled on a town centre railway bridge to commemorate work on the ring road and the staff involved in the scheme are publicly thanked.
Building it involved 13 major engineering projects and it was reported that the road had gone £5.3m over budget and completed nine months late.
Among the developments currently on-going in Walsall are a new £55m Tesco, a £65m mixed housing development called ‘Waterfront South’ and a further £10m predicted for a new hotel.
In addition, the £400m ‘Gigaport’ scheme will comprise a 121,000 sq ft data centre, called the Walsall Hub for IT industries, and two other office complexes of 106,000 sq ft and 117,000 sq ft respectively alongside the new £65m Walsall College.
Asda has invested £25m in its existing store and £170m has been pumped into the Manor Hospital site.
The ring road was built by contractors Norwest Holst and is over a mile long, running from Pleck Road along Wolverhampton Street, Blue Lane West, Littleton Street West to the Arboretum junction.
Thousands of vehicles use the route every day and attempts have been made to future proof it, with underground ducts being laid for the installation of fibre cabling to deliver faster broadband in a bid to attract new businesses to the town.
Cabinet member for regeneration Cllr Adrian Andrew said: “The ring road is a vital catalyst in creating a developing Walsall that our children and grandchildren will live in.
“There’s around £800m of investment in our borough projected over the next few years creating 4,000 new jobs.
“These are jobs associated with the new investment and buildings that are taking shape and are predicted to take shape.”
Council leader Cllr Mike Bird added: “Walsall people were very patient while the road was being built. They bore with us and it’s starting to be payback time. You only have to look around to see that.
“We do very much acknowledge the role played by all those who worked on the ring road and as things take shape it’s appropriate to thank them.”
