Archived News
Opening date for the new leisure centre is announced.
The new multi-million-pound Bert Williams Leisure Centre is due to open its doors for the first time on Saturday December 3, 2011.
The state-of-the-art facility will replace the ageing Bilston Leisure Centre and offer a dramatically improved range of activities for all the family, including an eight-lane, 25m swimming pool, a studio pool, sauna, dance studio and a health and fitness suite kitted out with the very latest equipment.
There will also be four squash courts, a sports hall which can be used for badminton, basketball, netball, volleyball and five-a-side football, dedicated gym equipment for older people and a special Shokk gym for youngsters aged eight to 15. A crèche and meeting room are also provided.
The Nettlefolds Way centre will be opened for the first time next month by the legendary Wolves and England goalkeeper it is named after – Bert Williams MBE, who grew up in Bradley – and the Mayor of Wolverhampton Councillor Bert Turner.
A short ceremony will take place at 10am to mark the occasion before the doors to the £18.6m centre are opened to the public for the first time.
Councillor Elias Mattu, Wolverhampton City Council's Cabinet Member for Leisure and Communities, said: “It’s very exciting that we are so close to the opening of this fantastic new leisure centre, and I am sure the people of Bilston and the surrounding areas are going to be delighted with their new facilities.
“We have worked hard to ensure there will be a wide range of new facilities to suit all ages at the centre, including the very latest fitness equipment with specially designed pieces for older and younger customers, a main hall which can be used for a number of different sports, and two pools for swimmers of all abilities.
“We are also providing more exercise stations than we have in the current leisure centre as well as a brand new sauna, sports hall and dance studio – and the best news for our customers is that we have been able to keep charges for the new centre at their existing levels.”
The city council’s main contractor Shepherd Construction is due to hand over the new facility to the authority in the next couple of weeks. It will then be kitted out with a mix of new equipment and some transferred from the existing centre on Prouds Lane.
Staff training will also be taking place in the run-up to the opening of the new centre, and as a result the old centre will close to the public on Sunday November 20, 2011. Customers are reminded that they can use the city council's facilities at Aldersley Leisure Village, Central Baths and Wolverhampton Swimming and Fitness Centre.
Councillor Mattu added: "We are now endeavouring to get the centre ready for its opening and our staff will be working hard to make sure that the people of Bilston and Wolverhampton can enjoy their new facilities as planned from December 3.
“Meanwhile, between the closure of the old centre and the opening of the Bert Williams Leisure Centre, I would encourage people to check out the facilities on offer at Aldersley Leisure Village and Wolverhampton Swimming and Fitness Centre.”
For more information on the new centre, please visit www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/sport, call 01902 552430 or e-mail bertwilliams.leisure@wolverhampton.gov.uk. To book an induction to use the new health and fitness suite please 01902 552430.
To see pictures of the pool and the sports hall at the new centre, please visit www.twitter.com/wolvescouncil or click http://twitpic.com/7c27im and http://twitpic.com/7c27ps.
- 10th Nov 2011
Meet the Artists
- 4th Oct 2011
September Progress Photographs
The new sports hall is painted and the sprung floor begins to go down.
- 4th Oct 2011
Bilston in Bloom - The Town gets a Silver Gilt award
Last year’s first entry in the competition saw a creditable silver award, so this year’s award reflects the positive on-going success and commitment to the town.
Judges commented: ’walking through Bilston it was good to see a very busy and vibrant town Centre with very few empty shops and a large number of shoppers’. The local ‘in Bloom’ team, comprising of representatives including the Town Centre Manager, Local Neighbourhood Partnerships, Heantun Housing and the local community, in only their second year of entering has gone from strength to strength.
This year the campaign was supported by Town centre traders and the local Pubwatch scheme. Raj Radhawa Chair of the Traders Forum commented: ‘this improved award shows that even in a time of economic decline Bilston is a vibrant town supported by involved and proud local communities. This is a wonderful achievement for the town!’.
Pictured from left to right:
Back Row left to right: Cheryl Welsh Town Centre Manager, Mayor of Wolverhampton Cllr. Bert Turner, Mayoress Cath Turner, Brenda Drew – Heantun Housing.
Bottom Row left to right: John Goalby Wolverhampton City Council, Karan Douglas Project Officer.
For more information on Bilston in Bloom, go to www,bilstoninbloom.co.uk
- 16th Sep 2011
Virtual Tour of the Leisure Centre now available
People can get a sneak preview of Bilston's new multi-million pound leisure centre – via You Tube.
Take a virtual tour of new leisure centre
A virtual tour has been posted on the video-sharing website at http://youtu.be/s1okzlgf7NM showing how the health and fitness suite at the Bert Williams Leisure Centre will look.
The suite boasts state of the art facilities with twice the number of pieces of exercise equipment as the existing Bilston Leisure Centre.
Other facilities at the new £14.6m centre, named after the legendary Wolves and England goalkeeper who hails from Bradley, will include an eight-lane, 25m swimming pool, a studio pool for teaching swimming and sauna and dance studio.
There will also be four squash courts, a sports hall which can be used for badminton, basketball, netball, volleyball and five-a-side football, dedicated gym equipment for older people and a special Shokk gym for youngsters aged eight to 15. There will also be a creche, meeting room and cafe.
Meanwhile, the man himself had a sneak preview of the new centre, which is due to open for the first time in late autumn. Bert, who is 91, joined Wolverhampton Mayor and ward member Councillor Bert Turner to survey progress on the Nettlefolds Way centre last week.
Main contractor Shepherd Construction is now just seven weeks’ away from completing the building, with work now concentrating on installing the squash courts, completing work to the studio pool’s floating floor, and carrying out external landscaping.
Craig Fletcher, Shepherd Construction’s project manager, said: “It was fantastic to see both Bert and the Mayor give the thumbs up to the project which is now in its final stages and will give so much pleasure to the local community for years to come.”
Councillor Elias Mattu, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture, said: “I am delighted that Bert enjoyed his sneak preview of the new leisure centre which has been named in his honour.
“I know he is very excited about its opening this autumn, and he is very much looking forward to welcoming local people to use it for the first time later this year.”
The local area has already benefited from the leisure centre as Shepherd Construction has placed orders worth £5.9m for materials and equipment with firms within the Wolverhampton City Council boundary during the building project. In addition 150 operatives from the West Midlands have been employed on the site throughout the project.
- 13th Sep 2011
New progress photographs for the leisure centre
- 15th Aug 2011
Cabinet Report seeks a way forward for the Urban Village
There are four principal issues which are being put forward.
1. Progress on the largely public led sites at the northern part of the development including the High Street Link and the site adjacent to the leisure centre (known as Plot A2).
2. The decision, by mutual consent, to bring the relationship with the selected developer for the main site (Places for People) to an end and ways of taking the residential and commercial development forward in the curent economic conditions.
3. The transfer of land owned by Advantage West Midlands to the Homes and Communities Agency in a so-called Stewardship Co-operation Agreement.
4. The setting up of a new Governance structure including a new Member Reference Group.
The full report is available to view on the Urban Village News page.
- 14th Jul 2011
New Public Art Commissions
Bilston Craft Gallery and Wolverhampton Arts and Heritage invite proposals from artists and designer-makers for three significant public art commissions to be sited in the new Bilston Leisure Centre.
In total a sum of £64 000 is available in commissions for this 14 million pound build.
The Bert Williams Leisure Centre is a key building project in the Bilston Urban Village regeneration programme. It is the first major new build of the redevelopment and a highly visible focal point adjacent to the Black Country Route (A463). It will provide a modern, fit-for-purpose exercise and recreation centre for local residents designed by the City Council’s Property Services Division in association with Jacobs.
Wolverhampton City Council is a Percent for Art authority and therefore wishes to commission public art to enhance the appearance, meaning, and function of the Leisure Centre and community involvement with this new facility. Creative proposals in a range of media are invited for three distinct commission opportunities set out below.
The build commenced in February 2010 and is a 20-month programme scheduled to complete in October 2011. The deadline for applications is 9am Monday 1st August 2011, with shortlisting and selection completed by late August. In compiling proposals applicants should be aware that the commissions must be completed for installation by December 2011.
For more details please visit the Bilston Craft Gallery website.
- 27th Jun 2011
Bilston in Bloom
The Bilston in Bloom theme covers anything in relation to the Environment, Nature, Outside Spaces, Recycling and Healthy Lifestyle! We are looking for projects that get local people of all ages involved and we need your support!
Last year the judges were very impressed with the level of involvement from schools and local community organisations all year round.
We would like to invite you to take the following opportunity to showcase your activities!!
Take part in the Judging Day – 11th July
Judging of the event will take place on Monday 11th July from 10.30am. This years judging route concentrates on the town centre and markets, the new Leisure Centre on the Bilston Urban Village, our “Orchard in the Orchard” project, residential areas, Bilston Methodist Church Phase 2 and Bilston Craft Gallery. We want to make Bilston Town Centre a vibrant place with lots of activities and information on display. We have stand spaces available for organisations to showcase what they have been doing under the Bilston in Bloom theme!!
For more information contact Karan Douglas on 07759 922 665
or karand@live.co.uk
- 23rd Jun 2011
Progress on the Leisure Centre continues.
- 20th May 2011
Leisure Centre Photographs from January
- 11th Mar 2011
Leisure Centre Photographs from February
- 11th Mar 2011
Public Art at the Bilston Leisure Centre
Have your say on public art at the new Bilston Leisure Centre.
Join us at Bilston Town Hall to find out about different types of artistic projects and creative community engagement and tell us what's best for Bilston.
6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Meet artists with experience of good public art and community working and hear them make the case for how they work. Then tell us what you think.
Take part in free hands-on cretaive activities for all ages and find out about current progress on the building.
For more information please call Ruth Owen on 01902 552207 or Sunita Sanji on 01902 551760.
- 2nd Mar 2011
Surprise visit by Bert Williams to Bilston’s New Leisure Centre
Bert, who has just turned 91, was visiting family in the area when he dropped in on the site of the £14.9m building that will be named after him when it opens later this year.
Main contractor Shepherd Construction is scheduled to complete building work on the 5,600 m² leisure centre later this summer, and is currently forging ahead with the masonry, cladding and roofing work.
Full story and picture on the Urban Village News page.
- 25th Feb 2011
Local Pupils leave their mark on the Leisure Centre
- 16th Feb 2011
Bilston Leisure Centre - December Photographs
- 19th Jan 2011
Bilston Corridor - Area Action Plan
The Bilston Corridor Area Action Plan forms part of the Black Country Core Strategy and will guide the transformation of the Bilston Corridor. It will identify the location of new development in the area and help make decisions on planning applications. It will also influence decisions about transport, community facilities and jobs.
Bilston Corridor, including Bilston Urban Village, is one of the main regeneration areas in Wolverhampton.
The Issues Paper identifies a range of key objectives and ways to achieve them. Some of the key issues include:
~ Improve and attract further investment to Bilston Town Centre
~ Deliver 4,300 high quality new homes - the largest area of housing growth in the City.
~ Enhance economic development potential - protecting and improving 282 hectares of employment land.
~ Create an attractive environment with new green infrastructure and high quality locally distinctive design.
~ Overcome the challenges of improving transport and accessibility.
~ Provide the right infrastructure and services to serve new and existing communities
~ Address and adapt to the effects of Climate Change.
~ Demonstrate how development will be phased and delivered.
More details of the AAP proposals and the questions which are being asked can be found by clicking here
Documents can be downloaded from the Downloads Page or the Council's website
- 13th Dec 2010
Bilston Academy - Report to Planning Committee
- 2nd Dec 2010
Good progress on the Leisure Centre
- 22nd Nov 2010
South Wolverhampton and Bilston Academy Plans now available
The new school building, part of Wolverhampton City Council's Building Schools for the Future programme is due to open in September 2012. The planning application shows the proposals for the whole of the school site, including the future of the existing school buildings and the sports fields. More information is available on the Urban Village News tab.
- 22nd Oct 2010
New Panoramic Photographs of the Leisure Centre
- 18th Oct 2010
Bilston's New Leisure Centre Shows its Metal
Please go to the Urban Village News for more details
- 13th Oct 2010
Bilston in Bloom video now available from this site.
- 30th Sep 2010
TOWN CENTRE NEWS: Bilston in Bloom has recently gained a Silver award in the Urban Community Category 2010
The judges commented:
“Bilston will blossom again!” this was the message conveyed in a short but attention grabbing introductory film for this entry into the “bloom” campaign. Cheryl Welsh, Town Centre Manager has harnessed the enthusiasm and energy of all members of the Local Neighbourhood Partnership(LNP) to produce an urban area which reflects the pride taken by Bilstonians in their local surroundings. The once derelict parks and church grounds have been transformed into popular public venues, enhanced by beautiful flowers, herbs and shrubs. Bilston has definitely blossomed again!
Areas of achievement:
• Bilston Methodist Church ground and conservation of native trees
• The imaginative plastic trugs planted by local children around the church building
• The traffic island beds well maintained and planted in a colourful attractive way, one with a piece of artwork created by Villiers Primary School
• The creation of a wild meadow in Hickman Park
• The Wildlife Trust working with local children in the Methodist Church ground
• Clean streets virtually free of litter and graffiti
• The prominent involvement of those with mental health problems, learning difficulties and those people unemployed in the “Bloom” project
• The inclusion and encouragement of all the LNP members to do positive things for the project
- 17th Sep 2010
Leisure Centre already providing local jobs
When the 5,600m² building opens, in summer 2011, it will create about 33 full-time jobs.
“We are hoping that many more opportunities will be available to people from the Wolverhampton area in the coming months” said Councillor Paddy Bradley, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration.
- 10th Sep 2010
New Photographs of the Bilston Leisure Centre
Photographs taken on site during July are now available to view on the Urban Village News tab
- 9th Sep 2010
Plans for health and social care developments revised
The current LIFT/PFI (Local Improvement Finance Trust/Private Finance Initiative) programme’s proposals for six joint schemes (one of which was earmarked for the site next to the new leisure centre in Bilston) has been subject to a major review in the light of significant changes in the landscape for both the city council and primary care trust.
The review looked at the affordability of the schemes, how they would be approved and whether they are still what is needed in Wolverhampton. The review found that major savings would be needed to make the original programme affordable, particularly for the primary care trust.
The review also provided an opportunity for the council to refresh its plans to use Private Finance Initiative credits from the Department of Health, worth nearly £30m, and ensure that the programme promotes independent living through services that are both personalised and community-focused.
Following the review, the city council is now developing proposals for “community hubs” offering health and social care services and a wider range of community activities. The site for these hubs have yet to be determined but will be decided through public consultation and will include, where appropriate, sites previously identified for the LIFT/PFI programme.
Further details will be given in due course.
- 6th Sep 2010
TOWN CENTRE NEWS - No changes to car parks
The council has moved to assure businesses and residents in Bilston that it will not introduce waiting restrictions on car parks in the town.
Having received an initial petition regarding problems of people parking all day and then using the Metro to travel to Birmingham, the authority undertook a consultation exercise into re-designating car parks in Bilston.
The proposal would have seen waiting restrictions introduced on selected car parks to protect the interests of people using Bilston Town Centre.
But having listened to the views of local people and businesses through the consultation exercise, the authority has opted not to re-designate any car parks in Bilston.
Councillor Barry Findlay, Cabinet member for Environment, said: “Not surprisingly the consultation exercise has initiated considerable opposition from local people and business to any re-designation of parking in Bilston.
“Having listened to all views, it has been decided that there should be no re-designation of car parks in Bilston and that on the completion of the Police Station development that the council will review again the use of the Oxford Street car park in relation to the Walsall Street, Piper’s Meadow and Hall Street car parks.
“The purpose being to understand if these car parks could be used in a different way to address the concerns about long stay parking registered in the earlier petition from the Church Street traders.
“But no changes will be made to any car parks in Bilston without the full consultation of all interested parties and a consensus is reached.”
- 16th Jul 2010
New website for businesses
The site aims to boost the area’s economy by giving local businesses, social enterprises and voluntary sector organisations the support and contacts they need to pitch for and win bigger contracts. Join today and find people interested in supplying to and buying from you.
You will also benefit from free networking events, seminars and courses – all designed to help you win more work.
www.finditinwolverhampton.co.uk is easy to use and absolutely FREE. Register today and help to build a bigger, greener local economy - while your business grows.
- 30th Jun 2010
Soil Shifting Shapes Site For Bilston’s Leisure Centre
Main contractor on the project, Shepherd Construction, is shifting 10,000 cubic metres of soil – enough to fill around 90 double decker buses – as the site is re-shaped prior to work starting on the building’s foundations.
All the excavated soil is being recycled, with 6,000 cubic metres being donated to Wolverhampton City Council’s Bowmans Harbour project where it will be used to form attenuation ponds. The remaining soil is being used to help in the landscaping of the new South Wolverhampton & Bilston Academy adjacent to the leisure centre.
The soil recycling is part of the sustainability plan during building work on the new 5,600m² leisure centre which is scheduled to open in summer 2011, and will comprise eight-lane, 25m swimming pool, learner pool, health and fitness suite, four squash courts, a sports hall, cafe and meeting room. The new build will replace the existing leisure centre in Bilston and will be the first permanent building of the £175m urban village project.
Shepherd Construction’s Peter Millett, managing director for the West Division, said: “The site is now taking shape as work progresses at a rate of knots. Once the excavation work is complete, we’ll move onto the foundations programme and will be looking to commence steelwork on the leisure centre this autumn.”
Councillor Paddy Bradley, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, added: “I am delighted that the work on the new leisure centre is progressing well.
“The people of Bilston and the surrounding areas have a fantastic new leisure centre to look forward to. It will be a state of- the-art leisure facility which will meet the needs and aspirations of the whole community and which will form an integral part of the new Bilston Urban Village.”
- 24th Jun 2010
TOWN CENTRE NEWS- Proposed Changes to Council owned car parks
HAVE YOUR SAY ABOUT BILSTON PARKING SPACES
Motorists, shoppers and residents are being invited to have their say about changes to car parking in Bilston.
Wolverhampton City Council wants to increase the number of spaces available to visitors throughout the day by making its car parks in Bilston either short or long stay. At present, there are no time limits at the nine city council-run car parks in the town.
The proposals will see the 536 spaces available at Pinfold Street, Batchcroft, Oxford Street, Hall Street, Pipes Meadow and Walsall Street designated as short stay with a three-hour time limit.
The 114 spaces at Mountford Lane, Bow Street and Short Street will be designated long stay for those who need to park for more than three hours.
Councillor Paddy Bradley, Wolverhampton City Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Enterprise, said: “We want to improve Bilston as a destination for shoppers and visitors and with major investment planned through the Bilston Urban Village including a leisure centre and Academy, the regeneration of The Orchard and the new High Street Link, we expect more and more people will come to the town.
“We have carried out parking surveys and we believe that the existing provision in Bilston could be used more efficiently.
“By providing dedicated short stay car parks we will be able to increase the number of spaces available to visitors throughout the day, encouraging more people to visit more often.”
People can discuss the proposals with officers at a special consultation event in Church Street, Bilston, on Thursday, 27 May, between 7.30am and 5pm.
They can also comment by calling Cheryl Welsh on 01902 571165, emailing cheryl.welsh@heantun.co.uk or filling in the form on the "Your Views" tab on this website. The closing date for comments is Friday, 11 June.
If approved, new car parking arrangements could be introduced later this year.
Please click here to download the consultation leaflet which gives more details including a map of the proposed changes.
- 17th May 2010
TOWN CENTRE NEWS - New Police Station takes shape
As the photograph shows, the new Police Station will soon be a prominent building within the Town Centre. Designed to bridge the difference in levels which occur on the site, from Hall Street the Station will appear as a two storey building accessed across the "drawbridge" which is visible on the photograph - perhaps an echo of the moat built around the original Police Station in Mount Pleasant?
- 9th Apr 2010
Planning Application submitted for site works to Academy
As part of the process of bringing forward the new South Wolverhampton and Bilston Academy a planning application for site works has been submitted (ref; 10/00315). This proposes the regrading of land on the eastern part of the existing school site (near Dudley Street) to provide a development area at the correct level for the proposed new building.
These regrading works use material which will arise through the excavation of the leisure centre site and represent a responsible and sustainable use of soil within the Bilston Urban Village site. The planning application includes a Planning Statement, drawings, a Flood Risk Assessment, a Materials Management Plan and an Ecological report.
- 26th Mar 2010
Leisure Centre Contractors start on site
The new Bilston Leisure Centre will be the first permanent building to form part of the Bilston Urban Village development. Shepherd Construction moved on site today to begin work on the scheme. Initial works will involve constructing a hoarding around the site, setting out the car park area and forming the compound. Progress on the contract will be regularly featured on this website.
- 15th Mar 2010
High Street Link Development Brief
After extensive public consultation the Development Brief for the High Street Link has now been adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document.
The brief sets out a vision for the creation of a high quality, safe and convenient pedestrian link between the town centre and the new faciltiies on the Urban Village site. It is also hoped that the creation of the link will enable the views of the town centre to be improved, provide new retail space and encourage visitors to the new leisure centre to explore the town.
The document will be a "material consideration" when determining planning applications for the site and will form the basis of the Council's case when it makes the compulsory purchase order to acquire land and interests on the site.
The document itself, the accompanying Consultation Statement and a formal Adoption Statement are all available here
- 29th Jan 2010
TOWN CENTRE NEWS: Oxford Street Car Park
Highways works for the new Police Station have now been completed on Oxford Street car park and construction work on the new building will begin very soon.
The area of the site which will remain as public car parking has now been resurfaced and new bays have been marked out.
- 1st Dec 2009
Go for Business
Go for Business was organised to enable local businesses to find out about the range of regeneration and other work currently being promoted by the public sector in Wolverhampton. The Bilston Urban Village stand attracted interest from a wide range of suppliers and contractors and they were all invited to register their interest in the scheme so that they could be kept informed of progress. If you work for a local business and would like to register your interest please email simon.lucas@wolverhampton.gov.uk giving details of the company and the products/services you supply.
- 24th Sep 2009
TOWN CENTRE NEWS:Changes to Oxford Street Car Park
Motorists will still be able to use the Oxford Street car park in Bilston during the initial phase of highway improvement work to facilitate the new Police Sector Station. The highway improvement work is due to start next week (September 14th).
Work will begin on a new access road situated a short distance away from the existing Railway Street access. During this time Railway Street will still be used for access to and from the public car park. A few parking bays will be lost to accommodate a small works compound on the Oxford Street car park whilst this initial phase of work takes place.
Once the new car park access is open then parking on a portion of the site will be suspended whilst kerbing and resurfacing work takes place to the Council car park. During this time, parking will be permitted on the portion of the site now owned by West Midlands Police until completion of the revised public car park. Public parking will then be transferred back to the resurfaced Council car park when work commences on the new Police Sector Station in November.
Confirmation of the date from which a reduction to the number of public car parking spaces available at Oxford Street will be given in advance.
Oxford Street has 135 spaces whereas alternative council car parks in Bilston provide a total of 601 free spaces. 1 disabled parking bay will be provided and 38 car parking bays will be retained at the Oxford Street car park.
There are eight other free council car parks in Bilston; at Pinfold Street 203 spaces; Batchcroft 181 spaces; Mountford lane 60 spaces; Walsall Street 47 spaces; Bow Street 44 spaces; Hall Street 42 spaces and Pipes Meadow 24 spaces. In addition there are approximately 700 free spaces available at Morrison's and Lidl supermarkets.
- 21st Sep 2009
Changes to the Morrisons traffic island
Work has now started to change the "teardrop" shaped traffic island near the entrance to Morrisons to a conventional circular traffic island.
The junction was created as part of the contract to provide the site for the new Bilston Leisure Centre and the proposed Primary and Communtiy Care Centre. It was created in response to concerns from the local community that Dudley Street and its junction with Highfields Road would take a significant amount of new traffic if a route were provided into Morrisons at this point. The new arrangement was required because of the stopping up of the northern section of Dudley Street.
Experience has shown a significant number of drivers using the junction incorrectly in order to gain access to Morrisons, even to the extent of driving over the junction. This has presented the Council and the community with significant concerns over pedestrian safety in the area.
Traffic counts have been undertaken along Dudley Street and this has shown a reduction in flows - the reasons for this are not known.
On this basis the Council has decided that there is no choice but to modify the junction allowing traffic travelling in a northerly direction along Dudley Street and then along the new Nettlefolds Way to go straight on into Morrisons.
The situation will continue to be monitored following completion of the works.
- 9th Sep 2009
Bilston Urban Village Medical Centre Open
Bilston Urban Village Medical Centre
Bankfield Road, Bilston, WV14 0EE
Tel: 01902 409905
Opening Hours: 8.00 am to 6.30 pm Monday to Wednesday and Friday, 8.00am to 8.00 pm Thursday and 8.00 am to noon on Saturday. The opening hours will be extended as more patients sign up at the practice.
The Centre will provide free health checks as well as all the usual general medical services you find at a GP practice. In time anticoagulation facilities will also be included.
The centre will be run by IntraHealth Limited, a national primary care company which operates GP practices across the north of England.
- 23rd Jul 2009
Selection of the Lead Developer for Bilston Urban Village
DEVELOPMENT PARNTER SELECTED FOR BILSTON URBAN VILLAGE
Wolverhampton City Council and Advantage West Midlands have selected Places for People as their development partner to deliver the flagship multi-million Bilston Urban Village scheme - one of the largest regeneration projects in the West Midlands.
The £200 million plus urban village development will create around 350 jobs during the construction phase and almost 750 jobs once the scheme is completed. Funding for the scheme will come from Advantage West Midlands and the city council – having already invested more than £20 million between them to date.
Places for People will be responsible for the delivery of remediation and earthworks across the site which lies just off the Black Country Route next to the Morrisons supermarket. They will also construct 16,500 sq metres of employment space, almost 900 houses, public open space, the building of roads, footpaths and cycleways.
This is in addition to other developments including:
• A new state of the art leisure centre (Wolverhampton City Council)
• A primary and community care centre (Wolverhampton City Council and the Primary Care Trust)
• A new academy school (Wolverhampton’s Building Schools for the Future programme)
• The development of a pedestrian link to the High Street (Advantage West Midlands and Wolverhampton City Council)
Taken together, the scheme has the potential to bring more than £300 million of investment to Bilston over the medium to long term.
Councillor Paddy Bradley, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise at Wolverhampton City Council, said: “This is extremely good news for Bilston, and to secure this deal in the current economic climate is very tangible proof of the potential of Bilston and its communities.
“I am pleased that a large number of local jobs will be created and the council will be working with its partners to help ensure that opportunities for local people are maximised.”
The Urban Village has the scope to bring about real change in this part of the Black Country.
Mick Laverty, chief executive of Advantage West Midlands, said: “Bilston is one of the agency’s flagship projects and the selection of Places for People brings us closer to realising the vision. The combination of public and private investment will enable the scheme to be delivered over the next decade. ”
Places for People, is a residential social landlord which is involved in the creation of sustainable communities. Its final tender submission for Bilston Urban Village provided a coherent and high quality bid. The council and AWM were impressed by the bid. Places for People is committed to making sure that as many people in the Bilston area as possible are able to take advantage of opportunities for employment and training.
Mary Parsons, strategic projects director for Places for People said: “We believe that Bilston Urban Village represents a superb opportunity to apply our unique approach to development to create a great place for people to live, work and visit. We want to work in genuine partnership to deliver the innovative and ambitious plans for Bilston and use our resources, expertise and, above all, enthusiasm to deliver them.”
Details of the final bid document can be found on the downloads page which you can reach by clicking here
More details on Places for People are available here
- 3rd Apr 2009
New Bilston Leisure Centre Plans now available
The new Bilston Leisure Centre will be the first development of the multi million pound Urban Village proposals.
It will replace the existing leisure centre, situated in Prouds Lane, with a modern, state of the art centre of striking design and appearance.
It will be a key landmark building in the area, highly visible from the Black Country Route and only yards from the Town Centre, making it a highly accessible location.
Central to the proposals is the creation of a pedestrian link between the leisure centre and the town, giving easy access to shops, the bus station amd the metro.
The documents relating to the leisure centre are available on the downloads page which you can reach by clicking here
- 19th Dec 2008
High Street Link consultation ends
Consultation on the document which will guide the future development of the High Street link has now ended.
Thankyou to everyone who has made comments.
All the comments will be evaluated and included in a Consultation Report which will form part of the documentation to be reported to Cabinet in January.
- 11th Dec 2008
New Bilston Leisure Centre Plans Submitted
Key documents from the planning application will be available here to download shortly.
These will include:
Images of the proposed centre.
Design and Access Statement.
Transport Plan.
Sustainability reports on key areas such as ecology, renewable energy and climate change.
- 11th Dec 2008
Sponsors for the Bilston Academy announced
As part of the overall Urban Village proposals, a new Academy School will be built linking in with the new leisure and health proposals along the northern edge of the Urban Village site as well as the new housing and employment opportunities.
The new school will be fully integrated with the development and is a further example of the urban Village bringing a mix of uses to the heart of Bilston, only a stone's throw away from the Town Centre.
Further details of the new sponsors can be found by clicking here.
- 20th Nov 2008
High Street Link Public Consultation
The establishment of a high quality pedestrian link between the new Urban Village developments and the Town Centre is considered to be vital in maximising the benefit of the new investment to the Town.
The draft development brief describes the Council's preferred approach to achieving this and will be adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document following a six week period of consultation.
The link involves the acquisition and demolition of a number of High Street properties and the building of new shops, offices and apartments facing onto the link.
All of the documents connected with this consultation are available on the downloads page or can be inspected at the Civic Centre (Reception 24, Second Floor) and Bilston Library.
At the end of the consultation period all of the comments received will be brought together in a Consultation Report (which will be available on this web site) and this will be reported back to the Council's Cabinet in January 2009 for a final decision.
If you would like to make a comment on the proposals please use the Your views page or email project.implementation@wolverhampton.gov.uk
- 28th Oct 2008
Nettlefolds Way
Through the Bilston East Local Neighbourhood Partnership, groups and individuals were asked to come up with suggestions for names for the new road. Nettlefolds is a reminder of the previous occupiers of the site, Guest, Keen and Nettlefold (GKN). The winning name was chosen by St Martin's Lads' and Girls' Brigade. Pictured are Brigade leader Tony Yates and Brigade members Danny Owen and Lucy Owen with Pat McFadden MP and Mick Laverty of Advantage West Midlands who were there to celebrate the new name on September 19th
- 30th Sep 2008
High Street Link
Links between the new development and the exisitng Town Centre are critical in making sure that everyone benefits from the massive investment that will come to the Town.
In order to achieve this the Council has resolved to make a Compulsory Purchase Order on properties in the High Street and has produced a draft Development Brief to guide the future development of the site. This document will be available here from late October and we will be in the Town Centre on November 13, 14 and 15th to find out what you think of the proposals. More details to follow.
- 30th Sep 2008
Completion of Plot A works contract
The site for the new Bilston Leisure Centre and the Primary and Community Care Centre is now nearing completion. For the past six months the site has been regraded, services have been diverted and a new link road, joining Dudley Street and Bankfield Road has been built. The result is a site which is now ready to take the new development. A planning application for the new Bilston Leisure Centre is due to be made soon.
Pedestrians are already using the footpaths along the new road and we hope to be able to open it to traffic within the next few days – watch out for further announcements.
- 1st Jul 2008
Plot A works contract gets underway (November 2007)
The current contract on Plot A follows the earlier grouting contract and represents the final preparatory work on site prior to the development of the leisure and health facilities. The contract essentially involves three main aspects: firstly, the diversion of underground services along Dudley Street; secondly, the regrading of the site to remove the sudden changes in levels; and thirdly, to provide new highway and other infrastructure. The contract is expected to last for approximately 27 weeks. Some disruption will be inevitable but the Council, Advantage West Midlands and Wrekin Construction will make every attempt to minimise this.
- 12th Nov 2007
Plot A Contract set to begin
Wrekin Construction of Shifnal have been awarded the earthworks and infrastructure contract for Plot A of the urban village. This involves the diversion of existing underground services, the re-profiling of the site and the construction of new roads and other infrastructure. The contract begins on Monday 12 November and is expected to last for 27 weeks. Some disruption is inevitable as the contract progresses though this will be kept to an absolute minimum.
The land is earmarked for the new Bilston Leisure Centre and the new health facility promoted by the City Council and the Primary Care Trust.
- 10th Nov 2007
School kids get creative
Hoardings are now being put up along Bankfield Road and Dudley Street to showcase the work of year 10 pupils at Bilston High School.
Creative kids from the school are working on two projects looking at the history of the Urban Village site and on the plans for its regeneration.
The Year 10 pupils are using photography and other media to display on the specially constructed hoardings around Plot A (the site for the Leisure Centre and the Health facility) a series of images which they hope will inspire the local community. Working with a professional photographer and using the facilities of a state of the art printing company in Cambridge (Rutters UK Ltd which has been used to create film backdrops for both Harry Potter and James Bond) a series of high quality images will be created along Bankfield Road and Dudley Street.
And a group of year 7 children are themselves scripting, shooting and editing a film on their school and its surroundings, past present and future. Working with film makers from the Lighthouse Media Centre in Wolverhampton the 10 minute DVD will be shown to both parents and other pupils.
These projects are led by and funded by Wolverhampton City Council and the Bilston Development Project.
- 29th Mar 2007
Climate Change Adaptation Report
The Council has been working with regional partners including Sustainability West Midlands, Severn Trent Water and the Environment Agency on using Bilston as a case study for climate change adaptation measures.
The nature of the proposals at Bilston, especially perhaps the reprofiling of the landscape, means that we have to be particularly sensitive to future scenarios. For example, it is no longer enough to design a central water feature based on historical rainfall data when the predictions are for more intense rainfall.
The report also looks at the way climate change adaptation was factored into a standard economic risk assessment.
The report is currently available only as a CD. To obtain a copy please email your details to simon.lucas@wolverhampton.gov.uk
- 29th Mar 2007
OJEU Notice published
According to EU legislation, all public sector contracts over a certain threshold must be advertised in the European Journal.
The notice for Bilston Urban Village was published on March 22 with the reference DOC 2007-70169-EN
Further details on the lead developer selection process are available from Jill Astley at Drivers Jonas: jillastley@driversjonas.com
- 22nd Mar 2007
Developer Selection Brochure
As part of the marketing material for the Urban Village we have prepared a brochure describing the development opportunity in more detail.
The brochure is aimed at developers who wish to gain a greater understanding of the opportunity the urban village offers and shows the boundary of the site which is available.
The brochure is available on the downloads page.
For a printed copy of the brochure please contact Jill Astley at Drivers Jonas: jillastley@driversjonas.com
- 22nd Mar 2007
Plot A Development Brief now available
Plot A is the first phase of the Urban Village. The Development Brief gives guidance on the quality of the urban design, architecture and environmental performance of the site. More information on the Current Work page.
- 20th Mar 2007
BUV launched at MIPIM
After a long and protracted period of land assembly and some remediation, Bilston Urban Village was officially launched as a development opportunity on March 14 2007, at the international property show in Cannes on the French Riviera.
Advantage West Midlands and Wolverhampton City Council, who between them own the site, are seeking a development partner to make the vision a reality.
Further details of this site as a development opportunity are available from Jill Astley at Drivers Jonas (0121 237 4440)
- 14th Mar 2007
The Bilston Urban Village DVD
Narrated by Nick Owen, the DVD introduces the main issues and includes a 3D fly-through of the proposed development. Click here to view the DVD and download the script.
- 12th Jun 2006
PLANS FOR BILSTON'S FUTURE ON SHOW (May 2005)
Visitors will be able to view a DVD, an exhibition and a model showing how the ambitious scheme could look.
The events, which will take place in and around Bilston High Street on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 19, 20, 21, will offer family fun, with face painters and balloons for the youngsters on all three days and a children’s entertainer on Saturday.
The DVD introduces the key themes of the development and asks a series of questions designed to get people thinking about how they would like Bilston to grow and change over the next 10 years. The DVD is available to local groups or organisations interested in the development.
One of the areas focused on during the consultation events will be the first phase of the development, which consists of a new leisure centre, Primary Care Trust health facility and a new link from the Urban Village to the town centre.
Important issues such as the type of open space required – including playing facilities - transport arrangements, the range of housing to be provided and the sort of jobs Bilston needs if it is to prosper will also be discussed.
The events will be staffed from 10am to 4pm each day and there will be staff on hand to answer general and technical enquiries about the Bilston Urban Village . Questionnaires and feedback forms will be available.
Bilston Urban Village is a scheme jointly promoted by Wolverhampton City Council and the regional development agency Advantage West Midlands. It aims to transform an area of 41 hectares (100 acres) just south of Bilston town centre through the introduction of a range of uses including housing and employment.
- 12th Mar 2006
Ground Investigation Contract
Read more about it on the Detailed Design page which you can go to by clicking here.
- 12th Sep 2004
New Aerial Photographs
There are nine photographs to view here, all available as .pdf files to download and view. For copyright reasons printing of these images from the web is not permitted. Photographic prints are available from:
Roger D Smith ABIPP
5 Rectory Close
Alverstoke
Gosport
Hants
PO12 2HT
Telephone: 02392 581008
You can go straight to the downloads page by clicking here, or follow
the link after the description of each photograph.
Photograph 1 (ref: 4037)
This photograph shows a view looking west. The Midland Metro is in the
foreground with Morrisons and the Brook Terrace scrapyards. B & Q
is at the top right of the shot. Download.
Photograph 2 (ref: 4044)
Looking south with the market in the foreground, the midland metro on
the left and Carder Crescent in the top right. Download.
Photograph 3 (ref: 4053)
Looking south east, showing the scrapyards very clearly and the large
Sankey Laminations work to the right. Download.
Photograph 4 (ref: 4056)
Again, looking south east, this time from just behind B & Q. Carder
Crescent is
at the top left with the Bradley canal clearly visible. The old Metabrasives
site and Broadmoor Road are in the middle of the shot. Ladymoor Pool
is on the extreme right. Download
Photograph 5 (ref: 4060)
Looking east with Bilston Town Centre on the left, almost the whole
of the urban village site in the centre and stretching all the way to
Bradley Lane playing fields in the top right. Download
Photograph 6 (ref: 4067)
A dramatic view of the south west corner of
the urban village site. Broadmoor Road is in the centre, with the new
housing development on
the corner of Broad Lanes/Highfields Road clearly visible. Ladymoor Pool
is to the right. Download
Photograph 7 (ref: 4074)
Looking north, a general view of the urban village site with the town
centre towards the top of the photograph. St Leonatd’s Church is
clearly visible. Download
Photograph 8 (ref: 4081)
Looking east with Station Road in the foreground. The Sankey Laminations
factory dominates the left hand side of the picture with the town centre
on the right. Download
Photograph 9 (ref: 4091)
A close up view of the Black Country Route showing Morrisons, the proposed
site for the Health Resource Centre and Leisure Centre (on land previously
occupied by GKN) and the Bilston Annexe to Parkfield school. Download
- 12th Jul 2004
Plot A Contract Gets Underway
- 30th Nov 1999
Plot A Contract Gets Underway
- 30th Nov 1999