Urban Design in Brierley Hill Town Centre: event and consultation

How should buildings in the new Brierley Hill look?  How can design influence the ‘feel’ and viability of a town centre?  Can crime be designed out?

Brierley Hill Civic Society will be having a presentation from Dudley Council on these matters on Monday 19th July at 5.30pm at St Michael’s, Brierley Hill.  If you are interested in the future of your town please come and join us.  The council’s website explains the process of drawing up the ‘Supplementary Planning Document and this will be a chance to have your say… Continue reading Urban Design in Brierley Hill Town Centre: event and consultation

Brierley Hill Conservation Area – management proposals

For those wishing to see the proposals for the Brierley Hill town conservation area then plase click this link:

http://www.dudley.gov.uk/environment–planning/planning/historic-environment/conservation-areas/brierley-hill-high-street-conservation-area The management proposals are in part B of the link

Planners reassure Brierley Hill stakeholders on jobs plan

Brierley Hill Masterplan - 15 years in the making

Moves by the new coalition government to axe Regional Spatial Strategies will NOT stop plans to bring major new building projects for Brierley Hill according to Dudley Council’s Senior Planning Policy Officer Annette Roberts.

Proposals to increase the size of the Merry Hill Centre, create over 2000 new homes and bring offices and 10,000 jobs to the area had been embeded in the West Midlands Spatial Strategy – a planning document which guides development throughout the region.

But the new government feels that Spatial Strategies are too bureacratic and restrictive for local councils and have announced plans to abolish them.  This has raised some concerns about the future of regeneration in Brierley Hill, the borough’s strategic centre.

Speaking to a meeting of Brierley Hill Town Centre Partnership Annette explained that although the regional strategy will disappear, all of the evidence which underpinned it – including the high priority to create new jobs and homes in the area – remains valid and retains the support of the four councils in the Black Country.  The councils have produced a ‘Joint Core Strategy’ which sets out how they plan to work together to regenerate the area.  The Joint Core Strategy is due to go to an examination in public in July and includes the designation of Brierley Hill as a strategic centre (together with the tests required to be passed before further major retail exapansion can take place).

High Street improvements to move forward?

Long awaited improvements to Brierley Hill High Street, funded from the Brierley Hill Sustainable Access Network scheme (which brought Venture Way to the town), are moving ahead.

The scheme will involve the widening of pavements to create parking bays, new Puffin Crossings and a new bus stop on the Western Side of the High Street (opposite the library).

Final consultations to take place shortly.

Preparations for Christmas Lights

Although it seems a long way off preparations are in hand for the Christmas lights in Brierley Hill High Street.

Previous years have seen problems with the lights being extinguished as mains leads were polled out.  Now four new mains points are being installed to prevent a repetition of the trouble.  Christmas lights suppliers have also visited the area to draw up an action plan to improve the display this year.  Many of the lights are to be refurbished and  a bid for funding for new festoon lighting is being drawn up.

See the new plans for Brierley Hill Campus

Stourbridge College has revealed the plans for its new £11 million state of the art Creative Industries Centre in Brierley Hill.  At a presentation to Brierley Hill Civic Society, Vice Principal Andy Sylvester told the meeting that the Centre, due to open in September 2011 will bring 600 full time students to the heart of the town.  Courses offered will include: fine art, weaving, fashion design, sculpture, graphic design and 3D design. Continue reading See the new plans for Brierley Hill Campus

‘Cafe Plus’ to bring new jobs and facilities to Brierley Hill – opening 1st June

” Cafe Plus ” – a  new coffee bar and convenience store in the new Brierley Hill Health and Social Care LIFT building on Venture Way will be opening on 1st June. 

The cafe will be offering freshly made sandwiches, baguettes and jacket potatoes, with a huge choice of toppings. It will also include  a quality state of the art bean to cup coffee machine.  There will also be a convenience store section selling all those essentials for people to grab whilst out and about.

Jon Skelding from Scallywags play centres commented:

“We are due to start fit out this week and plan to open for June 1st and will be creating at least six new jobs for local people. The Health and Social Care Centre is due to open to the public on June 14th We have further plans to roll out the brand to other locations over the next 18 months.”

The LIFT building will host around 350 staff and 500 patients a day.

Community Forum open meeting discusses car parking and transport

Tuesday saw local residents being given their chance to have a say on parking issues in Brierley Hill town centre when the Community Forum’s open meeting met at Bank Street Methodist Church.  Those attending the meeting heard that the introduction of car park charging at Merry Hill was, for legal reasons, some time off.  But there are exisiting parking problems in the town which needed to be tackled. Continue reading Community Forum open meeting discusses car parking and transport

Stakeholders identify key issues for town

Around 20 traders, agents and stakeholders in Brierley Hill Town Centre had their chance to express their views on their town at a workshop in the town organised by Dudley Council.

Key themes which were identified by the workshop included the need for improved transport and parking, better safety and more investment in the area. Continue reading Stakeholders identify key issues for town

May opening for Brierley Hill health and social care centre

John Coyne, Dudley LIFT CEO

Brierley Hill’s new health and social care centre is still on track to open in May.

 The new building on Venture Way Brierley Hill is nearing completion despite the recent bad weather having hampered operations by construction company Carillion.

 Chief Executive of Dudley Infracare Lift, John Coyne, told the most recent meeting of Brierley Hill Town Centre Partnership:

 “Inevitably the snow  over recent weeks has meant some of the work on the site is delayed.  However I am confident that any lost time will be made up and the health centre will be opening on time in May.” Continue reading May opening for Brierley Hill health and social care centre