Dudley Town Centre
A town centre offer that is seeking partners for mixed-use developments across a comprehensive investment programme.
OPPORTUNITY
Dudley Council is seeking investors/developers to work in partnership with the local authority, West Midlands Combined Authority and Homes England to bring forward a phased programme of development of residential, retail, leisure and employment projects across Dudley Town Centre.
This comprehensive investment programme includes the following projects:
- Portersfield retail, leisure and residential scheme
- Housing and employment sites
Promoter: Dudley Council
Scale: £110m+ GDV
Sector: Mixed-Use. Housing. employment, retail and leisure
Location: Dudley Town Centre, various sites
Investment Type: Development partner
Programme: 2022-2027
Planning Status: Variable planning status
Website: www.dudley.gov.uk
BACKGROUND
The aim is to improve economic performance of the town centre and capitalise on the £1bn of investment planned or on site in the borough over the coming years.
The investment programme takes a multi-dimensional approach and includes developing the visitor economy, promoting new retail, leisure, commercial and housing uses within the town centre, and improving connectivity in the town, with direct connections to national and international rail and airport hubs.
Improvements to the urban environment include the improvement of heritage assets and underutilised opportunity sites and buildings. These will create improved conditions to enable the private sector to invest into the town, bringing vacant premises back into use and improve accessibility to generate increased levels of visitor attraction.
The recently completed Institute of Technology, offers qualifications in modern manufacturing technologies and health sciences and will bring a further 500 students into the town centre. Dudley Council are building a new health science building next to this new college which will be run by University of Worcester, bringing in even more students to the town.
The £24m ‘Forging Ahead’ initiative will see the Black Country Living Museum expand and Dudley Zoo and Castle are working on Phase 2 of the Castle Hill vision. This work and the improved Dudley Canal and Tunnel Trust will significantly develop the visitor offer to the town centre.
DESCRIPTION
The project comprises a number of significant sites in a town centre location. The development of a new Midland Metro line through Dudley Town Centre which will be open to passengers in 2024 and complemented by a new transport interchange, will ensure that the town centre is well connected to the remainder of Dudley borough and the wider region. Development of these sites will help Dudley in delivering a step change in terms of economic development and regeneration.
The sites available for development will not only complement the Portersfield development which includes retail and residential developments but will be part of a package of over £500m of investment planned for the town centre in the next five years. In addition to transport improvements, a new ‘Very Light Rail’ National Innovation Centre, backed by Warwick Manufacturing Group opened in 2022, providing a test track and innovation centre for an exciting light rail solution. It also includes incubator space for start-ups focussing on the new technologies that Very Light Rail will bring.
PROMOTER AND PARTNERSHIPS
Dudley Council is developing this programme with support from the West Midlands Combined Authority and partners including, Midland Metro, Transport for West Midlands, Heritage Lottery Fund, European Regional Development Fund, Central Government, Dudley Zoo and Castle, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley College of Technology and the University of Worcester.
LOCATION
Dudley borough is undergoing an exciting transformation with over £1bn of investment on site or planned for development in the coming years. It is the historic capital of the Black Country, a region located in the heart of the West Midlands and the centre of the UK. It is close to the M5 and M6 Motorways, just 13 kilometres from Birmingham City Centre and within easy reach of Birmingham Airport.