Bilston Corridor - Wolverhampton City Council - Home Page

Bilston Corridor 

Area Action Plan 2010 – 2026 

Issues Paper Consultation

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Help us Plan the Future of your Area 

BILSTON CORRIDOR AREA ACTION PLAN, 2010 – 2026 

Wolverhampton City Council is working with 

the local community and public, private 

and voluntary sector partners to prepare an 

exciting new plan for the Bilston Corridor. 

The Bilston Corridor extends from the edge of 

Wolverhampton City Centre in the north to 

Loxdale Industrial Area in the south. It includes 

Bilston Town Centre and parts of East Park, 

Ettingshall, Monmore Green, Bilston, Ladymoor 

and Loxdale. 

The Bilston Corridor Area Action Plan (the AAP) 

will guide the transformation of the Bilston 

Corridor area up to 2026. 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 is one of the main regeneration 

areas in Wolverhampton and so a successful 

AAP is key to Wolverhampton’s future. It is vital 

that the AAP provides a strong framework for 

regeneration which responds to local needs 

and will benefit everyone. 

Local people need better housing and 

services, secure jobs and a transformed 

environment. 

Local Businesses need room to modernise and 

expand, and access to a skilled workforce. 

Retailers need attractive shopping centres 

which are easy to get to. 

The AAP will belong to the local community. 

An Engagement Strategy has been developed 

which will ensure local views are reflected 

throughout the AAP process. 

The AAP will build on plans already in place for 

Bilston Corridor. There are many regeneration 

sites in the Corridor with detailed proposals, 

such as Bilston Urban Village and Ward Street 

Masterplan area. Beyond this, the Black 

Country Core Strategy sets out broad proposals 

for further large-scale regeneration up to 2026. 

Bilston Town Centre is a key driver for 

change in the Bilston Corridor. The 

historic Town Centre is attractive and 

successful. There is potential to strengthen 

and expand Town Centre services even 

further, to serve new communities. 

The AAP will be deliverable. To bring about 

regeneration and growth in the Bilston 

Corridor will be challenging and require the 

support of many partners. The AAP will make 

a huge change to the area and will require 

intensive effort and focussing of resources. The 

economic downturn will limit regeneration 

opportunities in the next few years, but the AAP 

will establish a long term vision which will be 

ready to deliver when the economy recovers. 

The AAP will be flexible. The AAP must 

provide certainty, for businesses, land owners 

and residents, regarding future plans and 

infrastructure requirements for the area. 

However, it must also be flexible enough to 

allow businesses to expand and prosper and 

to attract available investment opportunities. 

This Issues Paper sets out what we think are 

the broad issues that need to be considered in 

preparing the AAP. The Paper asks your views 

on what the area should be like in 2026 and 

what changes need to happen to achieve 

this. Many of these changes will mean new 

development to provide additional housing, 

jobs, shopping and transport facilities. But it’s 

also about protecting areas of environmental 

assets and making them even better. We want 

to make sure that these changes benefit the 

whole community. 

Your views on these issues are needed as this 

will help make sure that new development 

creates job opportunities for local residents, 

economic prosperity, quality of environment 

and a better housing, retail and leisure offer 

which will benefit the whole community. 

We would like your response to the questions 

and issues raised in this Issues Paper by 28th 

February 2011. 

Stafford Road Corridor 

3

Section Introduction Heading 

What is an Area 

Action Plan? 

The Bilston Corridor Area Action Plan (the 

AAP) is being produced as part of the new 

planning strategy for the City, called the 

Local Development Framework (LDF) 1 . In 

the coming years the LDF will replace the 

Unitary Development Plan (adopted 2006) as 

the main consideration when guiding future 

development in the City. It will also be key to 

the delivery of Wolverhampton’s Sustainable 

Community Strategy (SCS)², which was 

adopted by the Council in March 2009. 

The LDF is a collection of different plans, 

including a Core Strategy, Area Action Plans 

and a Proposals Map showing site specific 

land use allocations. 

The Black Country Core Strategy³ is being 

produced on a joint basis by Dudley, 

Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton 

Councils. The Core Strategy will be the key 

strategic planning document guiding the 

regeneration of the Black Country up to 

2026. It sets out a Vision, a spatial strategy, 

development planning policies and broad 

locations for new development. 

The Core Strategy carries forward the successful 

joint working which began in 2004 with the 

preparation of the Black Country Study and 

Phase 1 Revision of the West Midlands Regional 

Spatial Strategy, adopted in 2008. 

Three Area Action Plans are currently being 

prepared for Wolverhampton. These are the 

Wolverhampton City Centre AAP, the Stafford 

Road Corridor AAP and the Bilston Corridor 

AAP (see Map 1). The purpose of the AAPs is 

to provide a more detailed framework at the 

local level to show how the Core Strategy will 

be delivered. 

The AAPs will set out a detailed land use 

and urban design framework and direct 

development investment. They will allocate 

land for development, make proposals for 

infrastructure and define the steps to be 

taken to ensure delivery. The AAPs will have 

the same lifespan as the Core Strategy, 

running to 2026. 

Contents: 

Introduction 

What is an Area Action Plan? 

• The Issues Paper 

• Evidence 

Part 1 – The Story so Far 

• The Black Country Core Strategy 

• A Vision for the AAP Area 

Part 2 – Directions of Change 

• Strengthening Bilston Town Centre 

• Climate Change 

• Creating Sustainable Communities 

• Transformation of the Environment 

• Supporting Economic Prosperity 

Part 3 – Emerging AAP Proposals 

Part 4 – Delivering the AAP 

1 

www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/ldf 

² www.wton-partnership.org.uk/page.php?identity=the-big-plan 

³ www.blackcountrycorestrategy.dudley.gov.uk 

Part 5 – How to get involved 

4 Bilston Corridor Area Action Plan - Issues Paper

Map 1 - Sub-Regional Context 

Sub Regional Context 

Sub-Regional Context 

11 

M54 

2 

Featherstone 

1 

10a 

Codsall 

A449 

Oxley 

Bushbury 

Bloxwich 

A460 

A41 

Tettenhall 

Staffordshire Staffordshire and and Worcestershire Worcestershire Canal Canal 

& Wyrley Essington Canal 

Wednesfield 

WALSALL 

M6 

A454 

WOLVERHAMPTON 

A454 

Willenhall 

10 

Black Route 

Country 

Bilston 

Canal Canal 

Walsall Walsall 

Darlaston 

9 

A4123 

Birmingham Canal 

Wolverhampton 

Level 

A449 

Canal 

Birmingham 

A4098 

Wednesbury 

Wombourne 

This map is based upon Ordnance Survey material with the 

permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her 

Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown copyright. Unauthorised 

reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or 

civil proceedings. Wolverhampton City Council 100019537 2008. 

Tipton 

Coseley 

DUDLEY 

Urban Area 

Bilston Corridor AAP 

Wolverhampton City Centre AAP 

Stafford Road Corridor AAP 

Local Authority Boundary 

Black Country Boundary 

Motorway 

Major Road 

Black Country Route 

Railway and Station 

Metro and Station 

Waterways 

0 0.5 1 2 

Miles 

¯ 

Bilston Corridor Area Action Plan 

Baseline Report 

Bilston Corridor Area Action Plan - Issues reviewed 

drawn by: lg 

Paper by: jf 

August 2008 

drawing no. fig 2.03 

5

Introduction 

The Issues Paper 

This Paper is only the start of the process of 

the production of the AAP – the Issues stage. 

•z 

•z 

•z 

•z 

•z 

Strengthening Bilston Town Centre 

Climate Change 

Creating Sustainable Communities 

Transforming the Environment 

Supporting Economic Prosperity 

The main purposes of this document are 

to inform communities, businesses and 

other organisations about the scope of the 

AAP and the AAP preparation process, to 

generate discussion about the main issues 

facing the area and to prompt developers 

and other interested parties to put forward 

sites / proposals for consideration. 

The Paper is divided into a number of Parts: 

•z Part One summarises the story so far, 

identifying key messages that have 

emerged from the Core Strategy and 

other relevant strategies. It sets out 

a proposed Vision for the area. 

•z Part Two is structured around five key 

‘Directions of Change’, which cover all 

aspects of development, growth and 

change that we believe the AAP has to 

prepare for in the period up to 2026. These 

correspond to the Directions of Change 

identified in the Core Strategy as crucial 

to the delivery of sustainable regeneration 

in the Black Country, and are particularly 

relevant to the Bilston Corridor AAP area: 

•z 

•z 

•z 

There are a series of aims under each 

Direction of Change, linked to the 

delivery of specific Core Strategy 

policies. The key issues arising from 

the delivery of these aims in the Bilston 

Corridor area are highlighted. 

Part Three describes the emerging 

proposals for areas that have been 

identified as locations for major change. 

Part Four sets out potential issues 

affecting delivery of the AAP. Delivery 

is a crucial consideration, particularly 

in the current economic climate. 

Part Five sets out the AAP preparation 

timetable and explains how to get 

involved in the AAP preparation process. 

Throughout the Paper there are a series of 

questions (highlighted in blue boxes) to find 

out what you think about the issues raised. 

You do not have to restrict your response 

to these issues, we would welcome any 

comments you may have on the issues raised 

by this document. 

We will use the feedback from this Paper to 

help put together alternative proposals to 

address the Issues that have been raised. 

This is called the Options stage. Details of 

the stages in the AAP process and how to 

provide feedback on the Issues Paper are 

explained in Part Five. 


Evidence 

This Issues Paper is guided by a number of 

existing reports, studies and strategies. This is 

called the ‘evidence base’. A key element 

of this evidence base is the Bilston Corridor 

Area Action Plan Baseline Report, accessible 

from the LDF website 1 . This Report helps us 

understand what the area is like now and 

what the key issues are that need to be 

addressed in the AAP. The majority of the 

evidence base collected for the AAP to 

date is referenced in the Baseline Report and 

available on the LDF website. 

Further information, including detailed maps 

and key statistics, is provided in the following 

documents accessible from the LDF website: 

•z 

•z 

•z 

Bilston Corridor Area Action Plan Baseline 

Report (Taylor Young consultants) 

Bilston Corridor Sustainability 

Appraisal (SA) Scoping Report 

Core Strategy Evidence, Submission 

Report and Representations 

We will continue to gather additional 

evidence throughout the AAP production 

process. For example, we have recently 

commissioned studies to understand 

more about the ground conditions and 

land ownership patterns in employment 

areas which may be subject to change, 

and to look at the potential impact of 

development on waste water infrastructure. 

All background evidence will be made 

available on the LDF website. 

1) What further evidence do you think will 

be needed to inform the AAP? 

Sustainability Appraisal 

As the AAP takes shape, its preparation is 

being informed by an on-going Sustainability 

Appraisal (SA) and Strategic Environmental 

Assessment (SEA) process, carried out by 

independent consultants. SEA is a process for 

evaluating the environmental consequences 

of proposed policies, plans or programmes to 

ensure sustainability issues are fully integrated 

and addressed at the earliest appropriate 

stage of decision making. SAs are broader 

and promote sustainable development 

by integrating environmental, social and 

economic considerations throughout the plan’s 

preparation. The overall aim of the SA process 

is to inform and influence the development of 

the AAP and maximise its sustainability value. 

A SA Scoping Report has been produced for 

the Bilston Corridor AAP, setting out the scope 

and methodology for the SA and summarising 

the tasks and outcomes for the first stage of the 

SA process. The Scoping Report also presents 

information on the AAP to enable the required 

consultation bodies to form a view on the detail 

that will be appropriate for the SA Report. 

The information provided in the Scoping 

Report incorporates the full range of 

sustainability topics relevant to the Bilston 

Corridor, including climate change; 

deprivation; economy; health; transportation; 

historic environment and townscape; 

material assets (including energy and waste); 

and population and equality. 

The Scoping Report highlights the key 

sustainability issues and problems that the 

AAP should address. This will then inform 

the development of a SA Framework of 

objectives, indicators and targets, against 

which the developing AAP can be assessed. 

1 

www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/ldf 

The SA process will continue to inform and 

influence the AAP throughout its development 

to adoption and seek to maximise its 

sustainability value wherever possible. 

Bilston Corridor Area Action Plan - Issues Paper 

7

Introduction 

Habitats Regulations 

Assessment 

A Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) will 

be required to demonstrate that the AAP 

proposals and policies will not adversely 

affect any European Special Areas of 

Conservation (SACs). This will include looking 

at the potential for population growth in 

the AAP area to increase visitor activities at 

Cannock Chase SAC. A Cannock Chase 

visitor survey and impact assessment, to 

be completed during 2011, will inform the 

HRA. The AAP will need to demonstrate 

appropriate and proportionate measures 

sufficient to avoid or mitigate any identified, 

significant, adverse impacts. 


Part One – The Story So Far 

The Bilston Corridor – 

A Focus For Change 

and Regeneration 

There has been a settlement on the site 

of Bilston for at least 1000 years, and it 

became one of the key industrial towns 

in the “Black Country” in the 19th and 

20th centuries. The Bilston Corridor lies 

over the South Staffordshire coalfield and 

rich deposits of iron and coal could be 

extracted and used in the many blast 

furnaces located in the area. 

The Bilston Corridor has been in a constant 

state of change since the industrial revolution. 

When mines and steel works closed they 

were replaced by industrial estates and open 

space, and, more recently, by new housing. 

After the Second World War, slum clearances 

made way for large council estates, and the 

closure of local steel works brought about a 

decline in social and economic conditions for 

local people. 

Today, the Bilston Corridor is one of the key 

regeneration areas in Wolverhampton and 

acts as a “gateway” linking Wolverhampton 

to the Black Country and Birmingham by rail, 

Metro, road and canal. Modern transport 

connections make the Bilston Corridor an 

attractive area for development and growth, 

with quick access to the motorway network 

via the Black Country Route and sustainable 

access to Wolverhampton City Centre and 

Birmingham via the Metro line. 

At the heart of the Bilston Corridor is the 

largest concentration of industrial land in the 

City, reflecting Bilston’s industrial heritage. 

This industrial core, fringed by housing, is 

anchored by Wolverhampton City Centre 

in the north, and Bilston Town Centre in 

the south. Bilston Town Centre acts as a 

significant focus for the local community, 

offering a range of shopping, leisure and 

community facilities. 

There are around 3,500 people living in the 

AAP area, in 1,500 homes. Much of the 

housing is semi-detached, typically built 

interwar / post war, and there is a mix of 

social and private housing. The area is served 

by some potentially high quality open spaces, 

including East Park, and walking and cycling 

routes along the canal and disused railway. 

A number of important heritage features are 

focused in Bilston Town Centre and along the 

canal and railway. 

The AAP area covers a number of “priority 

neighbourhoods”, including Millfields, Bilston 

Town and Loxdale - places in Wolverhampton 

which have the lowest quality of life in terms 

of joblessness, crime, levels of education, 

physical environment and housing. East 

Park, Ettingshall and Heath Town wards 

are in the top 5% most deprived wards 

in the Country. This is demonstrated 

by high unemployment, low levels of 

qualifications and low car ownership. 

The AAP area naturally divides into three 

character areas – Heath Town and East 

Park in the north, Ettingshall in the centre, 

and Bilston in the south east. Heath Town 

/ East Park is a series of industrial estates 

separated by canal, rail and Metro routes, 

with strong connections to the City Centre. 

Ettingshall provides a mix of modern industry 

and housing, in Spring Vale / Millfields, and 

traditional industrial estates and social 

housing. Bilston centres on Bilston Town 

Centre and Bilston Urban Village, with Loxdale 

Industrial Area to the east. 

The Bilston Corridor continues to be a 

key employment area in the City, hosting 

a number of successful, international 

businesses. However, industrial and 

manufacturing uses in the area are 

declining and are vulnerable to long term 

economic restructuring and job losses, and 

there is limited office and service sector 

employment. In recent years there has 

been a steady process of redevelopment 


9


of poorer quality employment land at the 

fringes of the industrial core for housing and 

community uses, for example at Millfields 

and Loxdale Sidings. There are currently 

a number of large housing-led schemes in 

the pipeline, evidenced by cleared sites at 

Bilston Urban Village, Bankfield Works, Ward 

Street, and Cable Street / Steelhouse Lane. 

Within the industrial core, there has been 

a gradual move from outdated heavy 

industry to more modern employment, in 

line with 21st Century expectations and 

working practices – for example, at Spring 

Vale Industrial Estate and Citadel Junction. 

However, there are still large areas of local 

quality employment land, concentrated 

around the City Centre. 

Bilston Town Centre has excellent transport 

connections, served by the Metro, a bus 

station and the Black Country Route, and 

boasts a bustling high street, popular indoor 

and outdoors markets, a Craft Centre and 

refurbished Town Hall. Bilston has been 

successful in securing investment, and the 

recently extended Wolverhampton College 

Bilston Campus, new police station and 

regenerated historic core will soon be joined 

by a new Leisure Centre and Academy 

building, to be provided in the first phase of 

the Bilston Urban Village development. These 

facilities will help to knit together Bilston Town 

Centre and the Urban Village. 

There are a number of major features and 

developments in areas around the Bilston 

Corridor which have an impact on the AAP 

area (see Map 2). These include: 

•z Wolverhampton City Centre – The main 

shopping and services destination 

for the City, with proposals for retail 

expansion, major office development 

and new public transport interchange. 

•z Heath Town – Inner city, high-rise public 

housing estate which is a focus for future 

investment to deliver major improvements. 

•z Royal Hospital / All Saints – development 

site / housing renewal project to 

regenerate deprived inner city area and 

provide new housing and other uses. 

•z Moxley Regeneration Framework – 

Plans are being developed for Moxley, 

in Walsall local authority area. 

•z Bilston Campus of the Wolverhampton 

College – recently renovated 

and extended to provide sports 

and childcare facilities. 

•z New Bilston Academy building and 

major refurbishment of Deansfield High 

School and Moseley Park School through 

Building Schools for the Future project. 

•z East Park – Large housing renewal 

area reaching final phase to replace 

outdated “tarran” bungalows. 

•z The Lunt – Targeted housing renewal 

underway in public housing area 

Without a clear plan, there will no doubt 

continue to be piecemeal change in the 

Bilston Corridor over the next 20 years. 

However, the AAP provides a unique 

opportunity to plan for comprehensive, 

balanced and sustainable regeneration, 

which allows the Bilston Corridor to play a 

full part in realising urban renaissance in 

Wolverhampton and the wider Black Country. 

A key role for the AAP is to understand the 

forces currently shaping the area and to 

guide and manage the processes of change 

in the long term. 

The implications of the AAP for communities 

living within and around the area is 

important to consider as development 

proposals have the potential to affect 

everyone. For example, new employment 

development could increase local job 

opportunities, and access and transport 

improvements will help local people 

to access facilities such as health, 

education, jobs and fresh food. The Local 

Neighbourhood Partnerships will help 

ensure that communities are engaged in 

the AAP process. 


Map 2 - Bilston Corridor Context 

Bilston Corridor Context 

City Boundary 

Bilston Corridor AAP 

Heath 

Park 

High 

School 

New Cross 

Hospital 

City Centre AAP 

Stafford Road AAP 

Open Space & Leisure 

Shopping Centre 

Community 

Regeneration Areas 

HEATH 

TOWN 

Metro Existing 

Passenger Rail 

Regeneration of 


City Centre 

Deansfield 

High 

School 

Freight Rail 

Willenhall Road 

East Park 

Royal 

Hospital 

All Saints 

Area 

Road 


East Park 

Monmore 

Stadium 

Moseley 

Park 

School 


Campus 

Blakenhall 

Local 

Centre 

Walk-In 

Health 

Centre 

Thompson Avenue 

Ward Street 

Hickman 

Park 

The 

Lunt 

Route 

Country Black 


Town 

Centre 


Academy 


Urban 

Village 

Moxley 

Regeneration 

Area 

Ladymoor 

Pool 

Coseley 

Housing 

Growth Area 

0 200 

400 800 

Metres 

ù 

10 mins 

ù 

¯ 


drawn by MS 

reviewed by MW 

April 2010 

Drawing no. 5104 


11


The Black Country 

Core Strategy 

The starting point for the AAP is the Black 

Country Core Strategy. This Issues Paper is 

based on the Publication Core Strategy (Nov 

2009), which was submitted to the Secretary 

of State in February 2010, together with a 

list of suggested amendments arising from 

consultation. A public examination was held 

in summer 2010 to consider outstanding issues 

and, following any necessary amendments, 

the Core Strategy should be adopted 

in March 2011. The main Core Strategy 

document sets out a Vision, Sustainability 

Principles, Spatial Objectives and a Spatial 

Strategy for the whole of the Black Country, 

supported by Key Diagrams, a set of Core 

Spatial Policies and more detailed policies 

covering different subject areas e.g. 

economy, transport and waste. 

Four Strategic Centres (including 

Wolverhampton City Centre) and sixteen 

Regeneration Corridors are proposed across 

the Black Country, where the majority of 

regeneration, new housing and employment 

development and environmental 

improvements will be focused up to 2026. 

Bilston Town Centre is designated as a 

second tier centre in the retail hierarchy, the 

tier below Strategic Centres, and performs 

well in this role, providing appropriate town 

centre uses to serve its catchment area. 

An Appendix sets out detailed spatial 

strategies and broad land use proposals for 

each of the Regeneration Corridors and 

Strategic Centres. The spatial strategy for 

Regeneration Corridor 4 is shown on page 14. 

However, the Core Strategy is not a detailed 

planning document and does not contain 

proposals for individual sites. 

The Core Strategy identifies the Bilston 

Corridor as one of the most important 

regeneration areas in the Black Country. 

The AAP boundary covers: 

•z All of Regeneration Corridor 4: 

Wolverhampton – Bilston 

•z The Loxdale part of Regeneration 

Corridor 5: Loxdale – Moxley* 

•z Bilston Town Centre 

•z Barton Industrial Estate, Springvale 

Industrial Estate and Perry Trading Estate 

(called “free-standing employment 

sites” in the Core Strategy) 

* Detailed proposals for the Moxley area, which falls within Walsall 

Borough, are set out in the Moxley Regeneration Framework. 

Regeneration Corridor 16, in Dudley, is 

located to the south of the AAP area, where 

420 homes are proposed near to Coseley 

Railway Station, with green infrastructure links 

proposed to Ladymoor Pool. 

The Core Strategy highlights the need to 

protect and improve existing high quality 

employment locations in the area and 

to make the most of the benefits of new 

investment opportunities. It also seeks to 

realise the potential of areas of outdated 

surplus employment land for a variety of new 

housing to meet the needs of a growing 

and changing population. A larger and 

more balanced population will help to 

provide a diverse workforce and support 

local services such as shops, the Metro, 

schools and health centres. Regeneration 

also has the potential to deliver significant 

environmental improvements, if it is 

managed in a way that respects valuable 

aspects of the heritage, character and 

distinctiveness of the Bilston Corridor and 

creates a quality network of open space 

and other environmental infrastructure. 

These development opportunities need 

to be balanced with the role the area 

has as a key transportation corridor. It 

is important to reduce congestion and 

improve the reliability of public and private 

transport to support economic growth, 


while at the same time ensuring that 

transport infrastructure is not reinforced 

as a barrier between neighbourhoods. 

There will be major challenges in addressing 

these issues and accommodating and 

delivering the changes envisaged in the Core 

Strategy, particularly in the current economic 

climate. This is why it is important to prepare 

the Bilston Corridor AAP now, so that these 

issues can be addressed and the economic 

recovery can be planned for. 

Many of the Core Strategy policies, covering 

such subjects as affordable and sustainable 

housing, urban design, shopping, waste 

management capacity and environmental 

infrastructure, will influence and guide the 

development of policies in the AAP. 


13


Black Country Joint Core Strategy 

Regeneration Corridor 4 - Wolverhampton - Bilston 

Regeneration Corridor 4 

RC1 

RC15 

Heath Town 

- Neighbourhood Renewal Assessment of 

large high rise Council estate to explore 

potential for renewal/remodelling. 

RC2 


RC3 

RC10 

RC6 

RC4 

RC5 

RC7 

Walsall 

RC16 

RC8 

RC9 West 

Bromwich 

RC11 

RC12 

Brickheath 

Road 

Park 

Brierley 

Hill 

RC13 

RC14 


City Centre 

Royal 

Hospital 

All 

Saints 

Mayfields- 

Large scale 

redevelopment of 

Council estate to 

create mixed 

community (partially 

complete) 

Stowlawn 

Wood 

72ha retained local employment land to 

provide relocation zone for displaced 

East Park 

firms following environmental improvements. 

Hickman Avenue 

Council Depot and 

other Strategic 

Waste 

Management 

Facilities. 

Dixon 

Street 

Park 

E 

City of Wolverhampton College - 

Wellington Road Campus: 

improvements underway. 

Ward Street - Planning permission for 

520 family homes and new neighbourhood 

park and canal improvements. 

Aspirational Canalside Suburbs 

- 2,810 family homes 

(980 of which committed) 

- local shops 

- canalside green infrastructure 

- 24ha retained employment land. 

Consolidation of existing town 

centre with Metro/bus 

interchange, as focus for 

shopping and services. 

Tarmac 

Headquarters, 

includes 

Strategic Waste 

Management 

Facilities. 

Ettingshall 


Retention of 119ha best quality 

local and high quality employment 

land along railway line in central 

area with possible potential for 

rail freight movements. 

Spring 

Vale 

Ladymoor 

Pool 

Coseley 

Bilston Urban Village and 

adjoining area 

- 1,500 homes for smaller 

households (1,230 of which committed) 

- new District Park 

- new Academy,leisure centre and 

health centre 

- 7ha modern employment premises. 

N 

Anchor Lane HWRC and 

other Strategic Waste 

Management Facilities. 

©Crown copyright. All rights reserved. Sandwell MBC Licence No. 100032119 2009 


A Vision for the AAP Area 

The consultation feedback and work we 

have done so far on the Core Strategy has 

enabled us to establish a Vision for the two 

Regeneration Corridors that fall within the 

AAP area (RC4 Wolverhampton – Bilston 

and RC5 Loxdale – Moxley). This Vision is 

important because it defines how the area 

will change and what it will be like by 2026. 

The detailed proposals to be contained in 

the AAP must contribute to delivering the 

AAP Vision. 

The Core Strategy Vision for the Bilston 

Corridor is that by 2026… 

•z Delivery will be achieved by making 

the area a major focus for partnershipled 

regeneration in Wolverhampton 

and securing long-term commitment, 

investment and marketing in order 

to overcome major constraints and 

deliver high quality development. 

The Core Strategy Publication Report sets out 

how this Vision should be achieved in terms 

of targets for new homes and employment 

land, and identification of associated service 

and infrastructure needs. A key role of the 

AAP is to deliver these targets. 

The key targets are: 

•z 

•z 

•z 

•z 

•z 

•z 

There will be major new residential areas 

on poor quality surplus industrial land 

clustered around Wolverhampton City 

Centre and Bilston Town Centre. This will 

be characterised by high quality design 

which protects and enhances historic 

character and local distinctiveness. 

New communities will be served by high 

quality networks of green infrastructure 

and residential services, focused on 

the Metro route and canal corridor, 

and a sustainable transport network. 

Retained employment land, 

concentrated in the centre of the 

Corridor, will serve local employment 

needs and also provide some 

high quality job opportunities. 

Loxdale employment area, to the east 

of Bilston Town Centre, will have fulfilled 

its potential to become a high quality 

industrial hub, through a programme 

of environmental and local access 

improvements, creating an improved 

image and attracting new investment. 

Housing renewal activity in adjoining 

deprived communities will have reinforced 

the new image and spread benefits. 

Residents will have good access to 

job and educational opportunities in 

Wolverhampton, Walsall and Birmingham. 

•z To deliver 2,100 dwellings at moderate 

densities (35-45 dwellings per hectare 

net) on 60 hectares of redundant 

employment land within Regeneration 

Corridor 4, in addition to 2,200 dwellings 

on housing commitment sites – together 

accommodating 10,000 new residents. 

•z To protect and improve 282 hectares of 

local and high quality employment land 

within Regeneration Corridors 4 & 5. 

•z To determine whether Springvale Industrial 

Estate, Barton Industrial Estate and Perry 

Trading Estate (21 ha) will be protected for 

employment or redeveloped for housing. 

•z To improve and attract further 

investment to Bilston Town Centre. 

•z To identify and provide the services 

and infrastructure necessary to 

serve new development and 

benefit existing communities. 

•z To ensure proposals take account 

of the historic character and local 

distinctiveness of the area. 

•z To demonstrate how development 

will be phased and delivered. 

2) Does the Core Strategy Vision for the 

AAP area represent the type of area in 

which you would like to live / work? 


15


Sustainable 

Community Strategy 

The Wolverhampton Sustainable Community 

Strategy (SCS) is about the people of 

Wolverhampton and the places where they 

live. It describes the kind of City that residents, 

organisations and stakeholders would like 

Wolverhampton to be by 2026: 

“By 2026, Wolverhampton will be a City 

where people can thrive. The economy is 

transformed and the gap in health, wealth 

and prosperity between communities and 

neighbourhoods in the City is substantially 

reduced. Wolverhampton is a place with safe, 

strong, diverse and popular neighbourhoods; 

a place where everyone has an improved 

quality of life and the chance to reach his or 

her full potential and where the benefits of the 

City’s growth are widely shared.” 

In short, we intend Wolverhampton to be 

known as a “City where people can thrive”. 

The Strategy also identifies seven targets for 

the City to be achieved by 2026: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

Our population will have 

grown to at least 252,000. 

We will match the Government’s 

target of 40% of our population 

having a Level 4 qualification. 

We will have built at least an 

additional 10,250 homes 

We will match the national 

average life expectancy of age 

82 for men and 85 for women. 

We will have an employment 

rate of at least 76%. 

The majority of the City’s 

residents will feel safe. 

We will reduce our carbon emissions 

to 4.9 tonnes per person 

The LDF, including the AAP, will have a 

positive impact in delivering the vision and 

the targets of the SCS. 

Local Neighbourhood 

Partnerships 

The AAP Vision also needs to be informed by 

priorities identified at the local neighbourhood 

level through Local Neighbourhood 

Partnerships (LNP’s). There are 15 LNPs 

across the City bringing together all the 

interests in the area: local people, local 

community groups, councillors, voluntary 

and community sector partners and public 

sector organisations 1 . The AAP area includes 

significant parts of Bilston East and Ettingshall 

LNPs and smaller parts of East Park, Bilston 

North, Heathfield Park and Spring Vale LNPs. 

Each LNP prepared an updated Action Plan in 

2009, following extensive resident consultation, 

to establish a vision, aspirations and priorities 

for their neighbourhood up to 2026. These 

Action plans should be reflected in the AAP 

Vision and help shape the development of the 

Options stage of the AAP. 

The vision for Bilston East LNP is to tackle 

crime and community safety problems, 

improve the quality of public space and 

traffic management, and increase leisure, 

community and health services available to 

local people, including young people. 

The LNP aims to engage residents 

and businesses in regeneration and 

neighbourhood renewal decisions, including 

joined-up working on Bilston Urban Village, 

which will in turn raise aspirations of attaining 

higher skill levels and economic well being. 

1 

Further information is available from 

http://www.wton-partnership.org.uk 


The vision for Ettingshall LNP is also focused on 

achieving community safety, environmental 

quality and good local services, improving 

qualification and job opportunities, and ensuring 

local communities are proud of their area and 

fully engaged in decision-making processes. 

To fully reflect local priorities it may be best 

to retain the broad AAP Vision established 

in the Core Strategy and to supplement 

this with more detailed visions for individual 

neighbourhoods and areas within the AAP, 

reflecting local objectives. For example, in 

one area the local objectives may be to 

provide affordable housing and improved 

local shopping facilities. Taken together, the 

“local” visions would show how and where 

the overall AAP Vision would be delivered. 

Housing Strategy 

Economic 

Development Strategy 

The Wolverhampton Economic Development 

Strategy has a vision of economic 

renaissance in the City by 2026 and is a key 

supporting document of the SCS. 

Seven short term and four medium to long 

term initiatives have been identified to 

achieve the vision. These include various 

initiatives to support local businesses and 

industry. The Strategy also looks to sustain 

and support the development of current and 

future regeneration projects in the City. 

The aspirations and initiatives of the Strategy 

have strong links to the AAP and will be 

integrated within it as it develops. 

The Council is in the process of preparing 

a new housing strategy which will support 

the ambitions of the SCS to enable 

Wolverhampton to be a place where people 

can thrive. The Housing Strategy will provide 

a long-term strategy and an action plan that 

will steer the housing activities of the Council 

and its partners in the shorter term (3-5 years). 

There are two emerging strands to the 

Housing Futures Plan: 

•z 

•z 

Neighbourhoods and Homes 

People 

The Strategy has strong links to the Local 

Housing Company and Local Investment 

Plan (LIP), produced by the Council and the 

Homes and Communities Agency, which will 

help deliver neighbourhood renewal and 

contribute towards the delivery of economic 

regeneration in the City. Bilston is highlighted 

as a priority regeneration area in the LIP. The 

Strategy and related initiatives will inform and 

be integrated into the AAP. 


17

Part Two – The Key Directions of Change 

Delivering the Vision for the AAP area will 

require some major changes over the next 

15 years. Five ‘Directions of Change’ have 

been identified, in line with the Core Strategy, 

which cover all aspects of development, 

growth and change that the AAP has to 

prepare for. 

For each of the Directions of Change we have 

identified a series of aims. We anticipate that 

these aims will form the basis for Policy Areas 

to be developed at Options stage. 

Direction of Change 1 

Strengthening Bilston 

Town Centre 

Bilston Town Centre lies at the heart of the 

AAP area and provides a range of retail, 

office, community and leisure facilities 

which local communities can easily access 

by Metro, bus and road. Facilities include 

a pedestrianised High Street, car parking, 

a successful market, Morrisons foodstore, 

refurbished Bilston Town Hall, Bilston Craft 

Gallery, Bilston Library and Bilston Community 

Centre. A conservation area covers part 

of the Town Centre and a Heritage Lottery 

funded Townscape Heritage Initiative has 

restored many historic buildings. Many new 

state-of-the-art buildings are also in the 

pipeline, including a Leisure Centre and 

Academy. Other projects include the High 

Street Link, to enhance pedestrian access 

between the Town Centre and Bilston 

Urban Village, and the Orchard Masterplan 

and Mount Pleasant Development Brief, to 

regenerate parts of the conservation area. 

Map 3 illustrates the main features and 

emerging proposals in and around Bilston 

Town Centre. 

The Black Country Centres Study (2009) 

concluded that Bilston is an attractive 

centre with a good quality retail and service 

offer, which is performing well. It is the 

only shopping centre in the AAP area and 

is one of two town centres designated in 

Wolverhampton, through the UDP and the 

Core Strategy. There are several vacant 

units, which are in a poor condition, and 

a number of identified opportunities for 

future development. Bilston Town Centre is 

well placed to meet shopping and service 

needs in the Bilston Corridor. New housing 

and employment development around 

Bilston Town Centre up to 2026, particularly 

Bilston Urban Village, has the potential to 

enhance viability, support service use and 

create demand for new facilities. The High 

Street Link project will be key in promoting 

integration between the Town Centre 

and the Urban Village, where limited local 

shopping facilities will be provided to serve 

new residents. 

The adopted UDP contains objectives, 

policies and proposals for Bilston Town Centre, 

many of which are still relevant. Bilston is 

identified as an “important town centre 

at the core of strong local communities” 

and the second commercial centre in 

Wolverhampton. Opportunities are identified 

to extend the local catchment to cover south 

east Wolverhampton and nearby residential 

areas in Walsall and Sandwell. 


Map 3 - Bilston Town Centre Context and Emerging Proposals 

Bilston Town Centre Context 

and Emerging Proposals 

AAP Boundary 

CP 

Bilston Town Centre Boundary 

Free-standing Industrial Estates 

Car Parks 

Key Open Spaces 

Regeneration Opportunities 

Existing Regeneration Sites 

Prouds 

Lane 

Playing 

Fields 

Peascroft 

Wood 

Barton 

Industrial 

Estate 

Metro Station 

Existing / Proposed 

WOLVERHAMPTON 

CITY CENTRE 

Hickman 

Park 

WELLINGTON ROAD 

METRO 

CP 

MOUNT 

PLEASANT 

PLEASANT 

MOUNT 


Bilston Craft 

Gallery Craft & 

Gallery Library 

CP 

Springvale 

Industrial 

Estate 

COSELEY 

ROAD 

ISLAND 

BIRMINGHAM NEW ROAD 

WESTERN 

GATEWAY 

HIGH STREET 

LIDL 

CP 

BLACK COUNTRY ROUTE 

CP 

PRIMARY 

SHOPPING 

AREA 

HIGH ST LINK 

CP 

New 

Leisure 

Centre 

HISTORIC 

CP 

CORE CP 

TOWN HALL 

THE 

ORCHARD 

BUS / 

CP NEW 

METRO 

POLICE 

STATION 

STATION 

CP 

MARKETS 

MORRISONS CP 

LICHFIELD ST 

COUNTRY 

BLACK 

ROUTE 

New Academy 

and 

Playing Fields 

Bilston Urban Village 

INDUSTRY 

OXFORD 

STREET 

ISLAND 

PROPOSED 

METRO 

PARK & RIDE 

METRO 

NEW 

HOUSING 

OXFORD STREET 

M6 BIRMINGHAM 


19


This would require a strengthening of the 

primary shopping area, a diversified range 

of activities and an uplift in environmental 

quality, building on Metro links and the 

potential provided by Bilston Urban Village 

and other residential opportunities. 

Policy BTC1: Bilston Town Centre Wide 

Initiatives promotes a detailed strategy 

to improve linkages between character 

areas within the town centre and between 

‘gateways’ and destinations, reviews parking 

provision, further involves local people and 

other stakeholders in the management and 

improvement of the town and identifies 

opportunities for residential development 

and ‘Living Over the Shop’ initiatives. Other 

overarching initiatives include those to 

explore further the archaeological history and 

local character and distinctiveness of the 

town. A signage strategy is also proposed to 

address issues highlighted above. 

The UDP Bilston Town Centre chapter provides 

proposals for four character areas within the 

Town Centre (shown on Map 3): 

•z Mount Pleasant Area – clarify and 

enhance the role and historic character 

of the area, secure the re-use of vacant 

buildings / sites and ensure that new 

development is sensitively designed, 

to enhance the Conservation Area. 

•z Historic Core – increase economic 

activity, enhance the historic character 

of the area, improve linkage to the 

High Street area and secure re-use 

and redevelopment of underused 

buildings and sites. Its new role should 

embrace both commercial and 

community objectives, with a wider 

range of uses. To enhance the historic 

character of this area (one of its principal 

assets), will require a comprehensive 

programme of public realm 

enhancement, with measures to promote 

reinvestment in buildings and sites. 

•z Primary Shopping Area – protect for A1 

retail, strengthen the retail function of 

the Town Centre, enhance the linkage 

between Church Street, the markets 

and Morrisons and realise the potential 

of the markets area, which plays a vital 

role in defining Bilston as a retail centre. 

Strengthening the retail function may 

involve new retail floorspace, but should 

also build on the existing features and 

improving quality of both the retail 

facilities and the shopping environment. 

•z Western Gateway – broaden economic 

activity, introduce residential / mixed-use 

development, strengthen the gateway 

role and improve environmental quality. 

3) Should the UDP character areas and 

unimplemented policies for Bilston Town 

Centre be taken forward into the AAP? 

4) Do you think that the Bilston 

Town Centre boundary shown 

on Map 3 should be amended 

or extended in any way? 


At present, there is significant capacity for 

extra convenience retail floorspace (providing 

everyday items such as food) in the Bilston 

catchment area over the Plan period. This 

could be met by extensions to existing facilities 

and / or by new food store provision. 

There are some development opportunities 

within the Town Centre, notably The 

Orchard and Mount Pleasant. There are 

also opportunities around the edge of the 

Town Centre - Bilston Urban Village to the 

south, and the redundant Leisure Centre 

and Barton Industrial Estate to the north. It 

may be appropriate to extend the Town 

Centre boundary to include sites identified for 

potential town centre uses. 

5) How could the shopping and service 

facilities provided by Bilston Town 

Centre be improved? Should the AAP 

identify potential locations for extra 

convenience retail floorspace? 

There are a number of surface car parks in 

and around Bilston Town Centre, providing 

1340 spaces. There may be scope for 

remodelling of some of these car parks to 

assist in regeneration and help create better 

pedestrian links. 

6) Should the AAP look at alternative 

use of car parking areas in and 

around Bilston Town Centre? 


Climate Change 

The Planning Act 2008 has introduced a 

requirement that all Development Plan 

Documents (including AAP’s) include policies 

to contribute to the mitigation of, and 

adaptation to, climate change. However 

it will be important to get the right balance 

between requiring exemplar sustainable 

development and getting development to 

happen in ‘sustainable locations’, many of 

which may have viability issues (see Part 4). 

Aim 1 – Climate 

Change Mitigation 

In November 2008 the Climate Change Act 

became law, committing the UK Government 

to an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas 

emissions by 2050 and a 26% reduction in CO2 

emissions by 2020, compared to 1990 levels. 

A key role for the AAP will be to support these 

commitments by realising opportunities to 

reduce greenhouse gas and CO2 emissions 

(climate change mitigation) in the Bilston 

Road Corridor. For example, emissions from 

transport could be reduced through the 

location and design of new development 

that seeks to reduce the need to travel by 

car, and encourages walking, cycling and 

public transport. Improvements to the energy 

efficiency of new and existing buildings could 

also make a significant contribution. 

Such measures will need to be supported by 

policy requirements that include targets for 

renewable energy provision and minimum 

design standards for new development, such 

as the Code for Sustainable Homes. 

Wolverhampton Council has a Planning for 

Sustainable Communities Supplementary 

Planning Document which incorporates a 


21


Sustainable Planning Checklist. All major 

planning applications must be accompanied 

by a detailed report covering all the issues 

on the checklist. The Core Strategy may set 

minimum targets that need to be met, for 

example providing a certain percentage 

of renewable energy as part of new 

development. However, the AAP offers 

the opportunity to set more detailed, local 

targets for assessment through the checklist. 

Local production of renewable energy could 

be a key means of reducing greenhouse 

gas emissions in the AAP area. Renewable 

energy generation is likely to become 

cheaper and more common over the Plan 

period. Energy generation can be buildingbased, 

each block having its own communal 

energy system, site-wide, where an energy 

generation source or sources serve a 

number of buildings via a community energy 

network, or even AAP area-scale energy 

production. Combined Heat and Power 

(CHP) generators could be provided as part 

of new developments. However, some types 

of renewable energy are not suited to a builtup 

area like Wolverhampton e.g. large scale 

wind turbines. 

7) What level of guidance should the AAP 

provide on climate change mitigation? 

For example, should the AAP set local 

targets for assessment through the 

Sustainable Planning Checklist? Are 

certain sites identified on Map 8 suitable 

for particular types of renewable energy 

such as Combined Heat and Power to 

serve large housing developments? 

Aim 2 – Climate 

Change Adaptation 

The AAP will play a key role in determining 

how successfully the area adapts to the 

effects of climate change up to 2026 and 

beyond. In Wolverhampton, these effects are 

likely to include: 

•z increased wind speeds and an 

increase in storm events 

•z average temperature 

increase of 1°C - 2.5°C 

•z drier (up to 30%) and warmer summers 

•z wetter (up to 20%) and warmer winters 

•z drier soils in summer and higher soil 

moisture levels in winter, increasing 

the probability of flooding 

The extent of these effects, for example, will 

be strongly influenced by the location of 

new development within the corridor. The 

AAP could seek opportunities to incorporate 

adaptation into both new and existing 

development. The most appropriate response 

will differ depending on the scale at which 

the effects operate – whether AAP areawide, 

neighbourhoods or individual buildings 

- and consideration will need to be given 

to adapting the public realm and spaces 

between buildings and developments. For 

example, only parts of the AAP area are at 

risk of flooding. 

The types of features and measures which 

can be incorporated into the Bilston Corridor 

to help the area adapt to the effects of 

climate change could include the following: 

Increased summer temperatures: 

•z 

•z 

•z 

Solar control – including shading, 

orientation and building layout 

Better ventilation through 

orientation and design 

Insulating or reflective building materials 

on roofs, façades and pavements 


•z 

Trees, green spaces and water 

bodies to absorb heat 

Use of materials in construction can be 

reduced through: 

Increased risk of flooding: 

•z Making use of flood risk information 

and avoiding development in 

floodplains where possible 

•z Safeguarding land required for current 

and future flood risk management 

•z Reducing flood risks to and from 

new development through location, 

layout and flood resilient design. 

•z Use of sustainable drainage systems; 

•z Use of trees, open spaces and green roofs 

to soak up rainwater and reduce pressure 

on drainage systems during heavy rainfall 

Well designed environmental infrastructure 

(see Aim 8) can help regulate both extreme 

temperatures and flood risk. 

Aim 3 – Resource Efficiency 

Resource efficiency relates to managing 

raw materials, energy and water in order 

to minimise use, waste and cost. The AAP 

could support this aspect of sustainability in a 

number of ways. 

Water efficiency can be encouraged 

through measures such as: 

•z 

•z 

•z 

8) What level of guidance should 

the AAP provide on climate 

change adaptation? 

Setting water efficiency standards 

Encouraging grey water 

harvesting and recycling 

Design of townscapes and 

planting to conserve water 

•z Reducing construction waste, 

reusing building materials, and 

recycling demolition waste 

•z Requiring Site Waste Management 

Plans for new development 

•z Adopting standards and targets to 

achieve resource efficiency (including 

the Code for Sustainable Homes 

and BREEAM) and encouraging the 

use of appropriate toolkits (such 

as those developed by WRAP) 

9) What level of guidance should the 

AAP provide on resource efficiency? 


Creating Sustainable 

Communities 

The AAP will seek to create cohesive, 

healthy and prosperous communities, 

with equal access to a mix of affordable 

and aspirational housing, and a range of 

community services and facilities, including 

lifelong learning, healthcare and sport. 

Aim 4 - Provide Sufficient 

Levels of Housing 

Although the AAP area is mostly industrial 

today, there are some residential 

neighbourhoods, concentrated in Freezeland 

and Millfields. There are currently 1,500 dwellings 

in the AAP area, predominantly semi-detached 

houses. They mostly date from the early 20th 

Century, although there are some late 20th 

Century developments. The Core Strategy 

anticipates that the area could accommodate 

an additional 4,300 new homes. 


23


Half of these homes will be provided on sites 

already identified for housing, and half will 

be provided in areas of search for housing 

and employment land over the period 2016- 

26, as detailed in Part Three – Emerging AAP 

Proposals. This means that, by 2026, the 

current population of 3,500 could increase to 

13,500 residents. 

Aim 5 - Getting the Right 

Type and Mix of Housing 

The Wolverhampton Housing Needs Study 

(HNS) 2007 looked at the type and mix of 

housing needed in different parts of the 

City. The ‘Bilston Area’ of the HNS covers 

the majority of the AAP area. In the Bilston 

Area, there is a shortage of 2 and 4 bedroom 

market houses, and a shortage of 2-4 

bedroom affordable houses. The Housing 

Strategy aims to provide more 3+ bedroom 

houses across the city. 

Policy HOU2 of the Core Strategy requires 

the provision of a range and choice of good 

quality housing across the Black Country up 

to 2026, to accommodate the following mix 

of households: 

•z 

•z 

•z 

10) In proposed new housing areas 

(see Part 3), what other uses should 

be provided? For example, are 

there opportunities for mixed use 

developments that could also include 

employment, community services 

and local retail opportunities? 

20% one person 

40% two person 

40% three persons or more 

The Bilston Corridor area offers the 

opportunity to provide more family housing, 

such as at Bilston Urban Village, but also 

potentially more smaller units on sites closer to 

the City Centre, subject to demand. The Core 

Strategy assumes a moderate housing density 

(35-45 dwellings per hectare net) for areas 

of search for housing and employment land. 

This allows for the majority of new dwellings to 

be houses if required. 

Access to residential services by 

public transport or walking could also 

influence the density of development 

in each area, in line with Policy HOU2 

of the Core Strategy (see Aim 7). 

The proportion of older people living in 

Wolverhampton will increase significantly in 

future years and much of the demand for 

new housing will arise from an increase in 

single and couple elderly households. This 

means that there will be an increasing need 

for new housing to be designed to meet 

the needs of older people and for specialist 

supported housing for the elderly to be 

provided. This is an example of special needs 

housing which may need to be planned for in 

the AAP area up to 2026. 

The Core Strategy has identified a need to 

provide an extra 36 residential pitches for 

Gypsies and Travellers in Wolverhampton and 

10-12 transit pitches to serve the Black Country 

as a whole, by 2018. There may be suitable 

sites for these facilities within the AAP area. 

11) What contribution should the AAP 

area make to the general household 

mix targets put forward in the Core 

Strategy, taking into account the 

characteristics of the Bilston Corridor? 

12) What types of special needs housing 

are required in the AAP area, and how 

and where should these be provided? 

13) Is there scope to provide Gypsy and 

Traveller accommodation in the AAP 

area? Can you suggest suitable sites? 


Aim 6 - Providing the Right 

Level of Affordable Housing 

In the Bilston Area, 52% of existing housing 

is owner occupied and 35% is “affordable 

housing” provided by Wolverhampton 

Homes or a Housing Association. Affordable 

housing is that which is provided through 

subsidy, for rent or sale, at a price which is 

affordable to local people in housing need 

and which meets their housing requirements. 

City wide, there is an estimated shortfall of 

620 affordable dwellings each year. The 

Core Strategy sets a target for the Black 

Country which equates to an average 

of 115 affordable dwellings per year for 

Wolverhampton. However, around 150 new 

affordable dwellings are currently built each 

year and many existing affordable dwellings 

are lost through right to buy and demolition. 

There is a low turnover of local authority 

housing in the Bilston Area and low average 

incomes, indicating a strong need for more 

affordable housing. 

Most new affordable housing in the City is 

provided by Housing Associations through 

Government grant, and some is also provided 

by developers on private market housing 

sites through planning agreements (Section 

106). The Core Strategy proposes that 25% 

affordable housing should continue to be 

sought on private market sites of 15 dwellings 

or more, in line with the Wolverhampton UDP. 

Many housing sites in Wolverhampton tend to 

be more expensive to develop than in other 

parts of the country, due to poor ground 

conditions. Poor ground conditions affect 

all housing sites in the Bilston Corridor, some 

to a significant extent, and housing sales 

values also tend to be low. This, along with 

the current depressed nature of the housing 

market, has implications for the ability of 

housing developments in the AAP area to 

provide affordable housing. 

For this reason it may be appropriate to set a 

specific affordable housing target for sites in 

the AAP area. This target could have regard 

to the characteristics of individual sites, for 

example viability considerations or the need 

to achieve a balanced mix of tenures in the 

local area. 

14) What targets should be set for 

affordable housing in the AAP area? 

Aim 7 – Ensuring 

Good Access to 

Community Facilities 

Community facilities include places that 

communities use as part of their daily routine, 

such as health centres, shops and schools, 

and those that have an important cultural 

and leisure role. Most significant community 

facilities in the Bilston Corridor are located 

in and around Bilston Town Centre. These 

include the Bilston Craft Gallery, Bilston Library, 

Bilston Town Hall (newly refurbished), Bilston 

Community Centre and Bilston Leisure Centre 

– soon to be replaced by a new leisure centre 

as the first phase of Bilston Urban Village. 

Other leisure facilities include Monmore Green 

Stadium and Bilston Football Club. 

Policy HOU2 of the Core Strategy provides 

sustainable access standards for four major 

types of community service: employment; 

health; fresh food; and education. The 

standards are to be used to determine the 

density / type of housing development 

appropriate in an area and whether 

improvements in either service provision 

or access are required. Maps 3-6 show 

performance against these standards across 

the AAP area. 


25


Poor health, low sports participation and low 

educational attainment are key issues for the 

Black Country and improvements to provision 

of education and health facilities will help 

to address these issues and also retain and 

attract A and B households. A great deal of 

investment is currently underway in the AAP 

Area. The Wolverhampton College Bilston 

Campus, just outside the AAP area on the 

Bilston Road, has recently invested in a new 

nursery and sports facilities and investment is 

taking place in health facilities and schools. 

Policy HOU5 of the Core Strategy promotes 

the focussing of this investment to support 

Centres, address accessibility gaps, generate 

maximum service improvements and secure 

community benefits. 

A major issue for the Bilston Corridor will 

be how far existing community services 

are capable of meeting the needs of new 

residents, whether their capacity can be 

increased through improvements, and 

what type and scale of new facilities need 

to be provided within new development 

to provide for remaining needs. It will be 

important to assess the combined effect of 

proposals in all three AAPs on the central 

part of Wolverhampton (focused on the 

City Centre). Housing growth is likely to be 

concentrated in this area, which is now 

mostly non-residential. 

There is one secondary school in the AAP 

area, the South Wolverhampton and Bilston 

Academy, which opened in 2009 and 

currently operates out of the former Bilston 

Annexe of Parkfields High School. A new 

building to house the Academy, to be built 

on the site of the existing school, is due to 

open in September 2012, funded through 

the Wolverhampton schools investment 

programme - Building Schools for the Future 

(BSF). Two other secondary schools serving 

the area, Deansfield High and Moseley Park, 

will also be refurbished through BSF. 

There are three Primary Schools in the AAP 

area and other primary schools and nurseries 

nearby. There are limited primary school 

places available in the Bilston East area 

and recent trends suggest that demand for 

places will increase in future. Housing growth 

is likely to increase this demand. 

Sustainable transport access to primary 

schools is generally good, although transport 

provision to and within the Urban Village 

would need to be addressed at an early 

stage of its development (see Map 4). Public 

transport access to secondary schools in the 

northern part of the AAP area is considered 

to be relatively poor (see Map 5). These 

public transport ‘gaps’ would need to be 

examined during the Plan period, in the 

context of Building Schools for the Future, the 

schools redevelopment programme. 

New Cross Hospital, to the north-east of 

Wolverhampton City Centre, serves this area. 

The majority of GP surgeries, pharmacies 

and opticians are located around Bilston 

Town Centre. A temporary surgery has been 

created in Ettingshall to fill an identified gap 

in provision and if this were established on a 

permanent basis, there would be sufficient 

sustainable transport access (15 minutes) to 

GP surgeries across the AAP area to meet 

Policy HOU2 requirements (see Map 6). Fresh 

food access is covered under Aim 19. 

15) Do you feel that increased levels 

of housing will create a need 

for new community facilities or 

is there capacity to cope? 

16) What is the best way to address 

any increased demand for 

community services? For example, 

is it better to make improvements 

to existing facilities or improve 

access where feasible, rather 

than building new facilities? 


Map 4 - Areas with Good Sustainable Transport Access to a Primary School 


27


Map 5 - Areas with Good Sustainable Transport Access to a Secondary School 


Map 6 - Areas with Good Sustainable Transport Access to a GP 


29


Map 7 - Areas with Good Sustainable Transport Access to a Source of Fresh Food 



Transformation of 

the Environment 

The AAP will seek the delivery of high quality, 

liveable and distinct places which respect 

and make the most of the existing diversity 

of the area’s natural and built environment, 

particularly its canals, open spaces, and 

industrial and architectural heritage. 

Aim 8 – Contributing 

to Black Country 

Environmental Infrastructure 

Black Country Environmental Infrastructure 

Guidance (EIG) is currently being prepared 

to provide a framework for environmental 

transformation in the Black Country. 

Environmental infrastructure covers open 

space, sport and recreation facilities, areas 

of biodiversity and geodiversity importance, 

wildlife corridors, the canal network, 

watercourses and drainage systems, air quality 

and renewable energy generation, pedestrian 

and cycle routes, areas and buildings of high 

design quality, and the special character and 

historic aspects of locally distinctive elements 

of the Black Country. 

The EIG will inform local policies and 

proposals. Therefore, Bilston Corridor 

AAP policies and proposals will need to 

recognise the importance of Black Countrywide, 

strategic networks of parks, wildlife 

corridors, leisure routes, etc. and help to 

achieve Black Country-wide objectives 

and standards, as well as addressing 

environmental priorities for Wolverhampton 

and for the Bilston Corridor area. 

The Bilston Corridor is capable of providing 

some key environmental infrastructure 

functions in the Black Country. In particular, 

the canal corridor could link with restored 

and new natural areas to act as a quality 

route for both people and wildlife to move 

between Wolverhampton City Centre and 

Bilston, and beyond. The southern part of the 

AAP area is a priority for new park provision, 

in terms of both existing deprivation and low 

sports participation levels and increased 

demand through new housing. Priority 

Geological Heritage Consideration Zones 

also cover parts of the AAP area, providing 

opportunities to create new geological 

exposures through development. 

Aim 9 – Creating Places 

where People want 

to Live and Work 

Creating vibrant, welcoming, and interesting 

places and spaces that are well connected 

will make the AAP area a place where 

people want to live and work. The Core 

Strategy sets out a Black Country-wide 

approach to ensure high quality design is a 

fundamental requirement for all aspects of 

the built and natural environment. 

The Baseline Report provides an Urban Design 

and Spatial Audit of the AAP area, and a 

Detailed Historic Landscape Characterisation 

Study 1 has also been carried out. A strong 

message of this work is that the Bilston Corridor 

has been greatly shaped by its industrial past. 

Parts of the area, such as Bilston Town Centre 

and the canal corridor, are rich in heritage 

and of high townscape value. 

1 

http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/blackcountry_hlc_2009/ 


31


However, much of the AAP area is characterised 

by piecemeal, poor quality development of low 

townscape value which does not contribute 

to a sense of place or identity. The transport 

infrastructure running through the Corridor also 

forms barriers in some places. 

Development provides the opportunity 

to raise the quality of urban design 

and create a high quality mixed use 

environment. Given the significant 

development proposals for the AAP area, 

it is important that new development 

achieves high levels of design quality. 

18) What do you think are the key 

“gateways” in the AAP area and 

what specific design guidance 

should the AAP provide for 

developments in gateway locations? 

Aim 11 - Protecting 

and Enhancing Historic 

Character and Local 

Distinctiveness 

17) How can we ensure that new 

developments will be of a high 

design quality? For example, should 

the AAP provide design guidance 

to address specific issues or is this 

best addressed in more detailed 

development briefs for certain sites? 

Aim 10 – The Bilston 

Corridor as a Gateway 

Location to the City 

The Black Country Route, the Metro and 

railway lines and the canal are main 

“gateways” to the City, and on into the City 

Centre, and the views from these routes 

have the potential to give people a positive 

feeling about coming into Wolverhampton. 

The Baseline Report found that whilst there 

were some positive elements about gateway 

routes, some features / buildings have a 

detrimental impact on the image of the area. 

There are a number of locations within the 

AAP area (see pages 42 - 43) that could be 

enhanced to create more positive gateways, 

such as Bilston Urban Village (BC16) and 

potential redevelopment adjoining the City 

Centre and the canal (BC1). 

Whilst most of the current townscape and 

buildings in the AAP area date from the 

20th Century, there are areas, buildings 

and structures of historic character which 

should be recognised through the AAP. 

Development proposals also offer an 

opportunity to enhance the area and 

create local distinctiveness and to add to 

knowledge of the areas’ heritage through 

archaeological investigations, ensuring that 

remains are recorded or protected and 

respected in the design of new development, 

where appropriate. 

Bilston Town Centre has origins dating back to 

the early medieval periods and is covered, in 

part, by a conservation area, which includes 

a number of listed and locally listed buildings. 

In the rest of the AAP area there are three 

listed buildings and some locally listed 

buildings, structures and landscapes e.g. East 

Park. There are a range of other heritage 

sites recorded on the Wolverhampton Historic 

Environment Record and there may be future 

opportunities for new listings, archaeological 

discoveries and conservation area 

designations e.g. parts of the canal network. 


Black Country EIG objectives. This will include 

how existing valued areas of open space 

will be protected and improved, and what 

additional open space, sport and recreational 

facilities will be required to serve new residential 

developments up to 2026, in accordance with 

current standards and priorities. 

The Detailed Historic Landscape 

Characterisation Study provides a 

comprehensive analysis of the local 

character and distinctiveness of the area 

and identifies previously unknown heritage 

assets. This work will be critical in informing the 

development of the AAP Options. 

19) How can we ensure that new 

developments will protect and 

enhance historic character 

and local distinctiveness? 

20) What do you think are the 

most valuable areas / buildings 

for historic character or local 

distinctiveness in the AAP area? 

Aim 12 – Creating a Quality 

Open Space Network 

There are a number of significant open 

spaces in and around the AAP area, including 

East Park and Stowlawn Wood in the north, 

and Ladymoor Pool in the south. Many 

of these open spaces are relic industrial 

landscapes which provide a tangible link to 

the heritage of the area and opportunities for 

site interpretation. The AAP will need to set 

out a strategy for the creation of a quality, 

multifunctional open space network in the 

area which contributes to achievement of 

The Wolverhampton Open Space Audit 

and Needs Assessment (2008) identifies 

current shortfalls against Wolverhampton 

standards (which cover quantity, quality and 

accessibility) for the following types of open 

space in the Bilston area: 

•z Neighbourhood Parks – additional 

parks needed as part of development 

at Bilston Urban Village and Ward 

Street, and in the Lunt area; 

•z Provision for children – quality 

improvements needed to existing 

play areas and new play areas 

required in new parks; 

•z Outdoor sports facilities – 

largest deficiency in the City, 

new facilities needed; 

•z Allotments 

These shortfalls do not take into account 

the potential effects of new development 

proposed in the Core Strategy. Therefore, it is 

important to consider how far existing facilities 

meet the needs of residents in the area and 

whether new facilities, or improvements to 

existing facilities, are needed to serve new 

residents up to 2026. 


33


Some parts of the AAP area have large 

amounts of open space, but this is of poor 

quality and limited function. In these areas 

there may be the potential to release open 

space for development in exchange for 

contributions to improve the quality of existing 

open space or provide new facilities. It is 

also important to consider how open spaces 

link up to form a network of greenways to 

encourage walking and cycling and to 

create wildlife corridors. There is already 

the potential to create a greenway network 

in the AAP area, making use of the disused 

railway cutting and canal network. 

21) What do you think are the most 

valuable open spaces in the AAP 

area and how could open spaces 

in the area be improved? 

22) What new open space, sport and 

recreation facilities do you think 

are needed to serve the AAP area 

and how could these be provided 

through new development? 

Aim 13 – Enhancing 

Wildlife Habitats 

The AAP area contains a limited number 

of protected nature conservation sites of 

regional and local value. These include 

Ladymoor Pool Site of Importance for 

Nature Conservation (SINC) and stretches 

of the disused railway cutting running from 

Wolverhampton City Centre to Bilston 

Town Centre. There are also natural areas 

acting as landscape buffers alongside 

transport infrastructure and industrial areas. 

It is important to consider wildlife habitats 

when redeveloping sites, ensuring they are 

protected, enhanced and made accessible, 

where appropriate. 

Source: Black Country Historic Landscape Characterisation 

The Council is currently undergoing a 

programme of re-surveys of existing 

ecological and geological sites in the City, 

with sites in the AAP areas surveyed during 

2009 and 2010. The AAP will continue to 

offer strong protection to existing designated 

sites and designate new sites in line with 

the survey results, particularly where sites 

are vulnerable or subject to development 

pressures and where there are additional 

opportunities for conservation. Opportunities 

will also arise to create new wildlife habitats 

through development as part of the open 

space network, potentially linking into existing 

wildlife corridors. 

23) How should the AAP improve 

and extend nature conservation 

assets in the area? For example 

should we encourage the 

creation of new habitats as part 

of all new development? 


Aim 14 – Making Best 

Use of the Canal 

The Birmingham Canal runs through the 

centre of the Bilston Corridor, with the 

Bradley Arm canal ending just to the south 

of Bilston Town Centre. This canal links to 

the wider Birmingham Canal Navigations 

network, offering a range of leisure and 

travel opportunities. 

potential for high quality regeneration 

e.g. Power House and the statutorily listed 

Chillington Interchange, and opportunities 

to re-open former canal basins through 

development. The environment in such areas 

is often inaccessible and unwelcoming. 

Chillington Wharf Source: Black Country 

Historic Landscape Characterisation 


Access to the canal varies across the AAP 

area. Where the canal enters the City Centre 

it forms the focus for the Canalside Quarter, 

recently enjoying a renaissance, with new 

residential development and a number of 

commitments for future development. The 

canal is generally more accessible and safer 

to use in this area. 

The canal has the potential to provide 

improved local walking and cycling routes 

for leisure and commuting purposes and 

for increased use as a touring canal. 

Improvements could be achieved through 

development fronting the canal offering 

natural overlooking and improving safety, 

towpath enhancements and better access 

points in appropriate locations. The canal 

also has the potential to be designated for 

its nature conversation and historic value, 

subject to appropriate survey. 

Further from the City Centre, the canal 

is hemmed in by unsightly industrial 

development that backs onto it, although 

there are some heritage buildings with 

24) How do you think we can maximise 

the potential of the canal 

network in the Bilston Corridor? 


35



Supporting Economic 

Prosperity 

The AAP will seek to improve the wealth and 

image of the area. It will make the most of 

the areas accessibility and location to attract 

and retain new employment opportunities, 

providing jobs for the local community. 

The AAP will also deliver a sustainable and 

successful network of shops and services, 

concentrated in Bilston Town Centre. 

Aim 15 - Providing Sufficient 

Employment Land 

353 ha of the AAP area is currently in industrial 

use - providing half of Wolverhampton’s 

employment land. This includes a wide range 

of employment locations and varied quality 

of accommodation for manufacturing, 

logistics and some office uses. The Core 

Strategy aims to retain 282 ha of employment 

land by 2026, with the poorest quality 

employment land redeveloped for housing or 

mixed use. 

A detailed assessment of existing 

employment land has been carried out as a 

key piece of evidence to support the Core 

Strategy. This work has identified how much 

land we need to provide within the Black 

Country as a whole to meet employment 

needs, and has set targets for how much 

employment land should be provided in 

each of the Regeneration Corridors. The work 

has also identified what kinds of locations are 

appropriate to meet the needs of modern 

high technology businesses, and which areas 

are better suited to more traditional, localised 

activity. Employment sites where there is 

currently opportunity for redevelopment have 

also been highlighted. 

For the AAP area, the Core Strategy 

employment land targets are: 

•z Retained Strategic High Quality 

Employment Land - 59 ha 

•z Potential Strategic High Quality 

Employment Land - 80 ha 

•z Retained Local Employment Land - 143 ha 

•z Long term supply of land for 

new employment development 

through recycling - 44 ha 

The AAP will help to deliver these targets 

by identifying, in detail, the areas that will 

be safeguarded for employment activity, 

and providing more detailed guidance on 

the kinds of activity that are best suited to 

particular sites. The AAP will also identify 

what improvements need to be made to 

protected employment areas, for example 

access, infrastructure or new development, 

to make them attractive to investors. 

Aim 16 – Meeting the 

Needs of the Industrial 

and Distribution Sectors 

The Core Strategy identifies areas of 

industrial land to be protected for high 

quality and local employment use. 

However, some poorer quality employment 

areas have been identified as areas of 

search for housing development. These 

sites tend to be less attractive to investors 

as a result of poor quality buildings or 

restricted vehicle access. However there 

are some industrial uses that could remain 

in these areas without detracting from or 

disrupting regeneration. 

25) Within the Areas of Search for Housing 

and Employment Land detailed 

in the “Emerging AAP Proposals” 

section, are there any existing uses 

that could remain without prejudicing 

the regeneration of the wider area? 


Aim 17 - Creating Stronger 

Links between New 

Employment Opportunities 

and the Local Workforce 

It is recognised that people commuting 

into Wolverhampton will take up some of 

the new jobs created when existing firms 

expand or new employers are attracted 

to the City. It is important however, that 

as many of these new jobs as possible are 

made available to residents, especially in 

the current economic climate. 

Lower than average qualification levels 

and incomes are an issue for the whole 

of Wolverhampton, but are particularly 

a problem in the AAP area, where the 

majority (56%) of the population have 

no qualifications and the unemployment 

rate is currently 12% - 4% above the 

Wolverhampton rate. Therefore there is a 

need to promote skills development in the 

area to meet local employment needs. 

The need to improve access to the labour 

market for local people is recognised in Core 

Strategy Policy EMP5, which requires major 

job creating developments to secure the 

recruitment and training of local people. 

The adopted UDP Policy B12 has been 

successful in securing contributions towards 

the recruitment and training of local people. 

The AAP presents the opportunity to develop 

this approach further by establishing links 

between development proposals and 

particular training and skills programmes. 

26) How can the AAP create stronger 

links between local employment 

opportunities and proposed 

employment developments? 

Aim 18 – Providing for Waste 

Management Facilities 

In 2009/10, approximately 36% of 

Wolverhampton’s household waste was 

recycled or composted. The Council have a 

target to recycle 38% of this waste by 2011. 

The National Waste Strategy targets are 40% 

by 2010 and 50% by 2020. 

To help achieve future targets it is important 

that the design and layout of all new 

developments supports the sustainable 

management of waste. Such considerations 

are requirements of the Code for Sustainable 

Homes. Considering the waste management 

requirements for commercial and industrial 

development also has the potential to 

reduce costs for occupiers. 

There are seven Strategic Waste 

Management Facilities in the AAP area, 

including the Hickman Avenue Depot, 

Anchor Lane Civic Amenity Site at Deepfields 

Industrial area and the Tarmac Aggregates 

Recycling Plant at Spring Road (see Map 

9). There are also a range of other waste 

management sites throughout the Corridor, 

with clusters of smaller facilities at Withy Road 

(BC12) and near Hickman Avenue (BC2). 

The AAP will need to protect and allocate 

appropriate sites / areas for waste 

management, in line with Core Strategy 

policies. Allocations may be needed to meet 

capacity gaps in managing waste, or to 

allow the relocation of waste facilities from 

areas where redevelopment is planned. 

27) Do you have any proposals 

to develop new or expand 

existing waste management 

facilities in the AAP area? 

28) Are there employment areas in 

the Bilston Corridor which you 

feel are particularly suitable for 

waste management facilities? 


37


Aim 19 – Meeting Shopping 

and Service Needs outside 

Bilston Town Centre 

The northern part of the Bilston Corridor 

benefits from proximity to Wolverhampton 

City Centre and St Johns Retail Park. Although 

there are no other centres in the south-east of 

Wolverhampton, Map 7 shows that all of the 

Areas of Search for Housing and Employment 

Land have good sustainable transport access 

to a centre or supermarket. There are also 

small parades of local shops, such as at 

New St, Ettingshall and along Bilston Road. 

However, there may still be opportunities to 

improve existing local shopping areas and 

create local shops to better meet existing 

and future local needs. 

29) Are there any suitable locations 

other than Bilston Town Centre that 

could be developed for meeting 

future shopping / service needs? 

Aim 20 – Improve 

Access and Transport 

Transport issues are pivotal to the delivery of 

economic growth and regeneration in the 

Bilston Corridor and the City as a whole. There 

are a wide range of transport options in the 

AAP area that should be capitalised upon. 

The AAP Area is served by the Black Country 

Route (A463) and the Black Country New 

Road (A41), a key transport corridor which 

provides easy access to the M5 and M6 

motorways. There is traffic congestion along 

this corridor at peak times. 

The Bilston Corridor is well served by public 

transport. Wolverhampton Station, on the 

West Coast Main railway line, lies at the 

northern end of the Corridor, and the Midland 

Metro Line One runs from Wolverhampton 

City Centre through Bilston Town Centre and 

beyond to West Bromwich and Birmingham. The 

corridor is also served by a bus network focussed 

on Wolverhampton and Bilston Centres, including 

a number of more frequent core routes. 

Provision for cyclists and pedestrians is 

variable. There are a number of off-road 

facilities but a lack of comprehensive 

networks, with main roads, railways 

and canals forming barriers and a lack 

of permeable routes through residential and 

commercial areas. The Birmingham Canal 

also runs through the corridor. 

The AAP will need to provide a strategy that 

maximises the capacity and efficiency of each 

of these transport corridors and supports the 

regeneration of both the area and the City as 

a whole. This will be achieved by maximising 

the efficiency of the transport network and 

providing a balance between modes, 

recognising that they play differing roles and 

generate differing demands. It is important 

to consider the role of each of the transport 

modes and how they relate to each other, for 

example, could public transport improvements 

help to relieve congestion on the A41 / A463? 

At this stage, we do not think there is a 

need for additional new major highways or 

transportation schemes in the area, though 

new development will inevitably put pressure 

on the existing network and may require 

local improvements. 


30) Should the existing key transport 

corridors in the AAP area (A41, A463, 

West Coast Railway Line, Metro 

Line and Canal network) continue 

to be the focus for investment? 

31) Is there scope for investment in other 

transport corridors in the area? 

Aim 21 – Reducing Barriers 

for Pedestrians and Cyclists 

Most of the pedestrian network in the area 

is on pavements as part of the highway 

network. Although the A41 and the Black 

Country Route are considered to be barriers to 

pedestrian movement for much of their length, 

they do contain a number of pedestrian 

crossings that link residential areas with key 

local destinations such as schools, open 

spaces and local shopping areas (for example 

between Morrisons and Bilston Town Centre). 

Cycling provision mainly follows the highway 

network. Part of the National Cycle Network 

runs through the area, along the Birmingham 

Canal. The main highway network, such as the 

A41, is suitable for experienced and confident 

cyclists but large parts of the highway network, 

including many residential estates, are suitable 

for less experienced cyclists. 

The lack of links across some key barriers, 

such as main roads, restricts the ability of 

both pedestrians and cyclists to access 

work, education and other services. Some 

areas, such as parts of the canal network, 

can be remote, unlit and with poor surfaces. 

This generates concerns about personal 

safety and restricts their suitability for use 

in winter and in poor weather. The area 

would benefit from investment in key routes 

for both pedestrians and cyclists to address 

these barriers, as well as in quality cycle 

parking at key locations. On roads such as 

the A41 Bilston Road, Wellington Road and 

Lichfield Street, a careful balance is required 

between the needs of pedestrians and 

cyclists and their role as part of the strategic 

highway network 

Road safety and the reduction of road traffic 

accidents and casualties also need to be 

a key consideration when considering the 

management of the highway network. 

Enhancing the environment and improving 

access and security along canal towpaths 

and other routes would increase their use for 

cycling and walking for travel and leisure. 

This would benefit existing and new residents 

by reducing congestion, improving health 

and providing recreational opportunities. 

Disused Railway Source: Black Country Historic 

Landscape Characterisation 

32) What improvements need to be made 

to the cycling network and pedestrian 

routes to help raise levels of walking 

and cycling in the AAP Area? 


39


Aim 22 – Improving Public 

Transport Infrastructure 

A high quality and integrated public 

transport network is essential for economic 

regeneration, accessibility and social 

inclusion and sustainable travel patterns. It 

is important that key facilities are readily 

accessible by all sectors of the community 

and that the ability to use these facilities is not 

dependent upon the availability of a car. 

The key element of an integrated and 

improved public transport service is the bus. 

Over 90% of public transport journeys are 

made by bus and even with the expansion of 

the Metro and rail networks, the bus network 

will continue to carry the majority of public 

transport users. 

The A41 is a key high frequency bus route 

in the area, with services every 10 minutes 

or less during the day time. There are also 

numerous local bus routes serving residential 

and employment areas, which link primarily 

to the Bus Stations in the City Centre and 

Bilston Town Centre. Despite some sections 

of bus lane along Bilston Road, congestion still 

delays buses at peak times. There is a need to 

consider opportunities to improve bus service 

frequency, reliability and quality within the 

AAP area, through more intensive use of 

existing routes and provision of high quality 

waiting facilities, real time information and 

consideration of walking routes to stops, and 

also through the consideration of new routes, 

particularly in the context of new education, 

health and leisure facilities and the Urban 

Village development. 

33) What improvements need to be 

made to the public transport 

network to enhance accessibility 

and reduce congestion within the 

AAP Area and surrounding areas? 

The potential to improve services on Midland 

Metro in light of new development, in 

particular Bilston Urban Village, also requires 

further consideration. 


Aim 23 – Establishing the 

Roles of the Strategic 

Highway Network 

The A41 Bilston Road / Wellington Road / 

Lichfield Street / Oxford Street provides a key 

strategic link through the corridor from the 

City Centre to Bilston Town Centre, the Black 

Country New Road and beyond. The A41 

is an urban road with a 30 mph speed limit 

and performs a range of functions beside its 

strategic role. It provides linkages with other 

strategic and more local routes as well as 

direct access for properties with frontages 

on the highway. On part of its length it 

accommodates the Midland Metro and it 

carries a high frequency bus service. It also 

performs an important role for cyclists and 

pedestrians, particularly in Bilston Town Centre, 

where there is a high level of pedestrian 

movements across Lichfield Street. The A41 

carries over 22,000 vehicles per day with a 

high proportion being heavy goods vehicles. 

Congestion is evident at peak and some offpeak 

times, particularly at junctions around 

and to the north of Bilston Town Centre, where 

through traffic conflicts with local movement, 

servicing, on-street parking, pedestrian 

movements and the needs of buses and the 

on-street section of Midland Metro. 

The A463 Black Country Route and 

A4444/ A41 Black Country New Road are 

modern dual carriageways with a mix of 40 

mph and 50 mph speed limits. They provide 

links between Bilston, the A4124 Birmingham 

New Road, Junction 10 of the M6 and West 

Bromwich. Congestion on the Black Country 

Route and the A41 occurs at peak times 

around the Oxford Street junction. There is no 

frontage access and provision for pedestrians 

and cyclists is limited to dedicated footways 

and cycleways in some parts plus a limited 

range of crossing points. 

The A4039 Millfields Road also provides 

a key strategic link between Bilston Town 

Centre and the Black Country Route and 

the south and west of Wolverhampton. It 

is a 30mph urban road with direct frontage 

access and a number of junctions with 

adjoining roads. 

To the north of the area, the A454 Willenhall 

Road provides a key strategic link between 

the City Centre and Junction 10 of the M6. 

Further assessment of these routes will 

be required to identify what measures 

are appropriate to minimise demand for 

highway space and manage what 

space is available more efficiently. This 

will take place in the context of the 

planning of new developments to 

minimise the need to travel, maximise 

accessibility to local services and promote 

sustainable travel measures. 

There is a rail freight terminal in the AAP area, 

at Corus, and this should be protected unless 

alternative facilities can be provided. From 

assessments carried out on the Core Strategy, 

there is little scope at present for additional 

rail based freight or canal based freight in the 

AAP area. 

34) What measures are required to 

better manage travel demand on 

the strategic highway network and 

to facilitate new development? 


41

Part Three - Emerging AAP Proposals 

The Black Country Core Strategy provides 

guidance on the broad land use change 

that the AAP will need to plan for in detail up 

to 2026. The Core Strategy identifies areas of 

major change, but also areas where existing 

uses will be retained. The AAP will need to 

establish detailed boundaries for these areas 

and make phased site allocations within 

them. The emerging detailed boundaries for 

the areas identified in the Core Strategy are 

shown on Map 8. Table 1 highlights the key 

proposals for each area. Emerging proposals 

for Bilston Town Centre are covered under 

Direction of Change 1 above. 

35) Do you think the proposed AAP 

boundary includes the key 

regeneration areas and development 

opportunities in this part of the 

City? Should the AAP boundary be 

amended or extended in any way? 

The following section sets out what we 

think are the key issues for each of these 

areas (further details are provided in the 

Baseline Report), including an assessment 

of development opportunities over the AAP 

period. We need your views / proposals to 

help inform what will happen in each of 

these areas. 

Table 1 – Emerging AAP Proposals 

Area Ref. Name Emerging AAP Proposals 

BC3 

BC5 

BC6 

BC16 

BC17 

BC1 

BC4 

BC10 

BC18 

BC20 

BC21 

Cable Street / Steelhouse Lane 

Dixon Street 

Ward Street & Chestom Road 

Bilston Urban Village 

Bankfield Works 

East of Wolverhampton City Centre 

Bilston Road to Millfields Road 

Springvale Industrial Estate 

Greenway Road 

Barton Industrial Estate 

Perry Trading Estate 

BC8 Tarmac and TITAN 10 

BC11 

BC14 

Springvale Business Park 

North of Anchor Lane 

Housing and Mixed Use 

Commitments 

Areas of Search for Housing 

and Employment Land 

Existing High Quality Employment 

Land (to be retained) 

BC9 East of Spring Road Potential High Quality Employment 

BC13 

Ladymoor Road 

Land (in need of investment) 

BC19 

BC2 

BC7 

BC12 

BC15 

Loxdale Industrial Area 

Monmore Green 

West of Spring Road 

Withy Road 

South of Anchor Lane 

Local Employment Land 

(to be retained) 


Map 8 - Emerging AAP Proposals 


43


Areas for New Housing 

These are areas which are already allocated 

or have planning permission for housing, or 

a mix of uses including housing. All of these 

sites were previously employment land and all 

are now cleared and ready for development. 

BC3 - Cable Street / Steelhouse Lane 

This 8 ha site has a development brief and 

outline planning permission for 365 new 

homes and a care home. The site benefits 

from extensive canal frontage and is located 

close to the City Centre. 

BC16 - Bilston Urban Village 

This 40 hectare cleared site to the south of 

Bilston Town Centre is the largest regeneration 

project in the Black Country, promoted by 

the Council and Advantage West Midlands. 

The mixed-use scheme will provide around 

1,000 new homes, employment and local 

retail floorspace, a new Academy building 

and District Park. Work is now underway on 

the first phase – a new Leisure Centre. 

BC5 – Dixon Street 

The cleared site to the north of Dixon Street is 

allocated in the Wolverhampton UDP for the 

creation of new playing fields, as part of a 

land exchange with Thompson Avenue Open 

Space. Industrial land to the south of Dixon 

Street is allocated for 100 new homes. 

BC6 - Ward Street & Chestom Road 

The 16 ha Ward Street site has a development 

brief and outline planning permission for 

up to 520 dwellings. Much of the site was 

previously occupied by a gas works and 

an energy from waste plant. The proposals 

include redevelopment of existing poorly 

located open space and school playing 

fields, and their replacement with a new 

Neighbourhood Park and improved playing 

fields. Part of the disused railway cutting 

running through the Bilston Corridor will also 

be filled and re-landscaped. Part of the 

Reliance Trading Estate to the east of the 

Ward Street site also has planning permission 

for 56 homes. 

BC17 - Bankfield Works 

Buildings on the former Bankfield Works site, 

immediately to the south of Bilston Urban 

Village, have now been demolished and this 

6 ha site has full planning permission for 230 

new homes and some light industrial units. 

Areas of Search for Housing 

and Employment Land 

These are areas of poor quality local 

employment land, totalling 100 ha, that the 

Core Strategy considers are most likely to 

have high levels of vacancy or under-use 

over the Plan period, and would therefore be 

suitable for some redevelopment for housing. 

At least 60 ha will need to be released for 

2,100 new homes, to be built between 2016 

and 2026, in order to meet housing targets. 


Redevelopment should be carefully phased 

to ensure that successful business areas 

can continue to operate and to avoid 

inappropriate or early loss of employment land 

which could create local unemployment. 

BC1 – East of Wolverhampton City Centre 

This large industrial area, located between the 

City Centre canalside quarter, Heath Town 

estate and Lower Walsall Street, includes the 

modern Royal Mail Sorting Depot, the Manders 

and New Cross Industrial Estates and Qualcast 

Road. Units are typically large, modern and of 

good quality. Occupancy levels are generally 

good, although there are some vacant and 

derelict sites, and the area generally attracts 

local firms. 

Millfields Road, Source: Black Country Historic 


BC10 - Springvale Industrial Estate 

This small free-standing industrial estate lies 

at the western edge of Bilston Town Centre 

and provides poorer quality, 1970-80’s units. 

There are currently some vacant units on the 

estate. Springvale Sports and Social Club 

adjoins the estate. 


BC4 – Bilston Road to Millfields Road 

This is a ribbon of average to poor quality 

industrial estates located along the canal 

and rail routes between Wolverhampton City 

Centre and Bilston, including Millfields Road 

and Waterside, Webner, Monmore Park and 

Landport Road industrial estates. Buildings 

are generally old, external environment is 

poor and the area generally attracts local 

firms. The estates have an extensive 3km of 

canal frontage. 

BC18 – Northcott Road / Bankfield Road 

Around the Bankfield Works site there are 

three parcels of land with potential for 


45


redevelopment, where building quality 

and external environment are poor and 

local firms predominate. The Loxdale 

industrial estates and the McAuliffe concrete 

reclamation and recycling plant lie along 

the north bank of the canal, next to the 

Latif retail warehouse. The McAuliffe waste 

management site generates noise and dust, 

but performs an important waste function 

which would need to be replaced if the 

plant were lost through development. 

Occupancy levels are generally good, but 

access to the strategic highway network is 

poor, and the area is generally attractive to 

local firms. 

A large (1 ha) warehouse lies to the south 

of the Bankfield Works site, between the 

canal and Greenway playing fields. There 

are further small units around Hatton Street 

and Salop Street, sandwiched between the 

Bankfield Works site and housing to the south. 

BC20 - Barton Industrial Estate 

This free-standing, 1980’s estate is located 

to the north east of Bilston Town Centre. The 

estate is surrounded by housing and access is 

via residential areas. The estate is generally in 

a poor to average state of upkeep with some 

vacant units. 

Existing High Quality 


These are among the best quality locations 

for industrial and logistics activity in the Black 

Country, with rapid motorway access and 

a high quality of buildings and environment 

sufficient to attract modern businesses. Some 

limited redevelopment of these areas may 

occur over the Plan period but large scale 

change is not anticipated. 

BC8 – Tarmac and TITAN 10 

BC21 – Perry Trading Estate 

This small free-standing estate is situated 

to the north of Highfields and Bradley, and 

provides a mix of units, including poorer 

quality industrial premises and factory works. 

This area is bounded by Ettingshall Road, 

the railway and the canal and is dominated 

by two major sites. TITAN 10 is a 25,000 sqm 

distribution warehouse which was developed 

in 2009 on a speculative basis with AWM 

assistance and is now occupied. Adjoining 

TITAN 10 is the 11 ha Tarmac site, which 

includes Tarmac business headquarters, an 

aggregates recycling plant and a concrete 

producing plant. The site is a strategically 

important waste management facility. 

Buildings and environment are generally 

good quality in this area. 


uilding quality, attracting some national and 

international firms. 

Potential High Quality 


TITAN 10 Source: Black Country Historic 


BC11 - Springvale Business Park 

This is the best quality modern industrial 

estate in the AAP area, with direct access 

to the Black Country Route and excellent 

levels of occupancy, external environment 

and building quality. The area attracts some 

national and international firms, including 

Poundland and Dolphin Bathrooms. The 

adjoining popular retail park includes B&Q, 

Halfords and Matalan. 

These are areas with the potential to meet 

the needs of high quality employment 

sectors, but which require a combination 

of new infrastructure, redevelopment 

and environmental improvement. The 

Core Strategy protects these areas for 

employment use and supports proposals for 

ongoing improvement 

BC9 - East of Spring Road 

This area, bounded by the canal, the railway 

and Spring Road, includes a mix of older and 

modern units of varying condition, with few 

vacancies. Key tenants include City Electrical 

Factors and Bilston Engineering. The area 

currently does not attract the sub-regional, 

national and international firms required to 

bring it up to a high quality standard. 

BC14 - North of Anchor Lane 

There are a number of modern buildings 

in this area, which has good access to the 

Black Country Route and excellent levels 

of occupancy, external environment and 


47


BC13 – Ladymoor Road 

This is a cleared site allocated for 

employment use in the UDP, with dedicated 

access to the Black Country Route. 

Local Employment Land 

It is important to retain a supply of land and 

premises for the types of industrial, logistics 

and commercial activity that do not require 

high quality, high profile locations but provide 

important sources of employment for local 

people. The Core Strategy identifies areas of 

‘local’ employment land to accommodate 

this kind of activity that will be protected from 

redevelopment to other uses. 

BC2 – Monmore Green 


BC19 - Loxdale Industrial Area 

This is a large, established industrial area, in 

a strategic location on the Black Country 

Route, with excellent access and good 

occupancy rates. The area provides areas of 

open storage and a mix of accommodation, 

ranging from older large works and forge units, 

such as Mueller Works (9,000 sqm), to estates 

of smaller units (around 2,000 sqm), such as the 

1980s Oxford Street Industrial Estate. Buildings 

are generally old and the area currently does 

not attract the sub-regional, national and 

international firms required to bring it up to a 

high quality standard. 

This large industrial area stretches from 

Commercial Street near the City Centre to 

the western edge of the historic East Park. The 

railway, Metro line, canal and disused railway 

cutting all run north to south through the area, 

which is characterised by older, poor quality 

buildings and high vacancy rates. There are a 

number of scrap, waste transfer and recycling 

uses in the area, and many large areas of 

open storage. There are also a number 

of uses which would constrain residential 

development and could not reasonably be 

relocated. These include a rail goods terminal, 

the British Oxygen Company storage depot, 

Monmore Green Stadium and strategically 

important waste management facilities. 

The Citadel Junction site, with direct access 

to the Black Country Route, has recently 

been developed for logistics use with 

assistance from AWM. 



BC7 – West of Spring Road 

This industrial area, fringed to the west by 

open space, contains a number of outdated, 

larger units centred around the 2.5 ha Rolls 

Royce site - former playing fields allocated in 

the UDP for employment use. Buildings are 

generally old and external environment poor. 

BC15 - South of Anchor Lane 

This area provides cost effective 

accommodation which is attractive to a 

variety of local uses, and includes the Anchor 

Lane Civic Amenity Site (a recycling centre) 

and some scrap metal businesses. 


BC12 - Withy Road 

This estate is located alongside and has 

relatively good access to the Black Country 

Route and accommodates a number of 

scrap / recycling uses, mainly as a result of a 

Council initiative in the 1970s to relocate nonconforming 

uses to this area. Two scrapyards 

have been recently relocated here from the 

former Brook Terrace yards at Bilston Urban 

Village. There are a number of industrial 

buildings of varying styles and condition 

and building quality and environment are 

generally poor. 

36) Do you agree with the emerging 

AAP proposals for the areas listed 

in Table 1 and shown on Map 8? In 

particular, what uses do you think 

are most appropriate for Barton 

Industrial Estate, Springvale Industrial 

Estate and Perry Trading Estate (see 

Page 15, Core Strategy Targets)? 

37) Are there any sites that you wish to 

propose for development in the AAP 

area? These can be within or outside 

the areas listed in Table 1. Please 

provide us with the following details: 

• Detailed location plan & area 

reference from Map 8 (e.g. BC1) 

• Type of proposed development 

• Timescale for development 

• Features, constraints and any 

viability issues related to the site 

• Any specific infrastructure requirements 

38) What sort of improvements do you 

think are needed to enable areas 

BC9, BC13 and BC19 to become 

high quality employment areas? For 

example, do certain sites / buildings 

need redevelopment / modernising, or 

are transport improvements needed? 


49

Part Four - Delivering the AAP 

The AAP proposals must be capable of being 

taken forward effectively. This means setting 

out a clear framework to identify responsibility 

for implementation and to demonstrate that 

proposals are practical, realistic, feasible and 

deliverable. This will be essential to generate 

certainty and confidence amongst investors 

and existing business owners. 

Viability and Constraints 

The Council will need to be able to demonstrate 

that the AAP proposals are capable of being 

implemented – or “viable” - over the Plan 

period. Particular regard must be had to 

the potential effects of the economic cycle 

on housing and commercial development 

schemes, including the current downturn. There 

are currently relatively low development values 

in the Bilston area, and this has an impact on 

viability. Improving the image and attractiveness 

of the area through improvements to 

environmental infrastructure, jobs and services 

should help to increase development values 

and improve viability, over time. 

Even in a good economic climate, 

development in the AAP area is constrained 

by poor ground conditions - the legacy 

of previous mining and industrial activity. 

This can considerably increase the cost of 

certain types of new development. We 

have commissioned work to identify ground 

condition hotspots in the AAP area to help 

inform the Options stage of the AAP. The AAP 

could set out an approach to dealing with 

contaminated soils, for example temporary 

hubs, to help facilitate regeneration. 

Land ownership is also likely to be a key constraint. 

Employment land in the AAP area is generally 

characterised by fragmented and complex land 

ownership patterns. It will be important to bring 

together all those with an interest in land and 

work in partnership to ensure comprehensive 

development. Relocation sites may need to be 

found for some occupiers before development 

can take place. Compulsory purchase orders 

(CPOs) may be necessary in some cases to bring 

forward key sites. We have begun work to identify 

key land owners and occupiers in the AAP area 

and to start a dialogue with them about the 

future of their land and businesses. 

Other constraints have been identified in the 

Baseline Report, as shown on Map 9. There are 

some localised areas at risk of flooding in the 

southern part of the AAP Area. While flooding 

issues can be overcome, we will need to ensure 

that appropriate flood risk assessments and 

management measures are put in place through 

development. Improving sustainable drainage 

across the AAP area through new development 

will also help to reduce flood risk generally. 

Water quality needs to be improved across 

the City to help meet Water Framework 

Directive targets. The SA Scoping Report 

states that groundwater in the northern third 

of the AAP Area could be highly vulnerable 

to contamination due to the sandstone which 

lies beneath the area. We need to ensure 

that, where relevant, any developments 

enhance and protect water quality. 

There are currently two hazardous installations 

in the area, which are subject to very careful 

controls. The Health and Safety Executive 

(HSE) would need to offer advice on the 

suitability of any sites near these installations 

for redevelopment. 

High levels of traffic congestion around Bilston 

Town Centre create pockets of poor air 

quality. The Wolverhampton Annual Progress 

Report on Air Quality identifies the A41 / A463 

junction as exceeding the Government’s 

objectives for levels of nitrogen dioxide 

targets. The AAP will need to consider how to 

improve air quality in problems areas. 

39) Are there any other constraints 

within the area that could 

limit development? 


Figure 18 

Constraints 

Map 9 - Constraints Map 

Constraints 

Figure 18 

Constraints 

Character Areas 

HSE Consultation Zones 

124 

A4124 A4124 

A4124 A4124 

A4124 

A454 

B4484 

A4124 

A454 

A4124 

B4484 

B4484 

Constraints Moderate Flood Risk - 

Flood Zone 2 

Character Areas (0.1% - 1% Annually) 

HSE Consultation Zones 

Figure 18 

High Flood Risk - 

Moderate Constraints Flood Zone 3 

Flood Risk - 

Flood Zone 2(Greater than 1% 

(0.1% - 1% Annually) 

High Flood Risk - 

Flood Zone 3 BOC Site 

Constraints 

(Greater than 1% 

Annually) 

Character Landfill AreasGas Sites 

BOC Site 

HSE Consultation Landfill Gas Zones Sites 250 

Landfill Gas Sites 

Metre Buffer Zone 

Moderate Flood Risk - 

Landfill Gas 

Flood 

Sites 

Zone 

250 

2 

Metre Buffer 

(0.1% 

Zone Suface - 1% Annually) Coal Mining 

Suface Coal High Mining Flood Risk - 

Flood Coal Zone 3Resources 

Coal Resources (Greater than 1% 

Annually) 

Corus Steel BOC Rail Corus SiteGoods 

Steel Rail Goods 

Terminal Terminal 

Major Roads Landfill Gas Sites 

Major Roads 

Air Quality Landfill Hotspot Gas Sites 250 

Metre Air Buffer Quality Zone Hotspot 

Railway 

Metro Line 

Suface Railway Coal Mining 

A454 

Canals Coal Resources Metro Line 

A4126 A4126 

A4039 

A41 

A4126 A4126 

A41 

A463 

Barrier Corus Canals Steel Rail Goods 

Terminal 

Low Bridge 

Major Roads 

Barrier 

Strategic Air Waste Quality Facilities Hotspot 

Railway Low Bridge 

Metro Line 

Strategic Waste Facilities 

Canals 

B4162 B4162 

A463 

Barrier 

A4039 

A4123 A4123 

A4126 A4126 

A41 

Low Bridge 

Strategic Waste Facilities 

B4162 B4162 

A463 

A4039 

A4098 A4098 

B4162 B4162 

A4123 A4123 

A4123 A4123 

A4098 A4098 

A4098 A4098 

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51

Part Four - Delivering the AAP 

Infrastructure 

The AAP will establish what infrastructure is 

needed to support development in the area 

and how it will be provided. Infrastructure 

requirements range from transport, education 

and health facilities to energy and water 

supplies. The Black County Infrastructure Study 

and the AAP Baseline Report identify the 

broad infrastructure requirements needed to 

support development in the Bilston Corridor. In 

particular, there is a need to carry out further 

work to ensure that the waste water needs of 

new development can be met. There is also a 

need to identify funding for improvements to 

Metro services to accommodate the demand 

generated by Bilston Urban Village. It is 

important that the AAP Issues stage identifies 

any further local needs. 

40) Are there any particular infrastructure 

requirements that need to be 

identified in the Bilston Corridor to 

enable development to be delivered? 

Developer Contributions 

Developer contributions are an important 

mechanism for funding the infrastructure 

required to serve new development, 

including open space and play facilities, 

transport improvements, affordable housing 

and public art. Contributions are currently 

secured through Section 106 Agreements, 

but there is now the potential to set a 

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to fund 

infrastructure. A CIL would set out a standard 

‘charging’ formula for new development, for 

example for each new house or amount of 

commercial floorspace. This formula must be 

related to the infrastructure required to bring 

development forward, and have regard to 

commercial viability. 

In the current economic climate, in particular, 

development viability is generally low, and 

so developer contributions are unlikely to 

be able to support all the infrastructure 

requirements necessary to deliver good 

quality, sustainable development in the AAP 

area. This will mean difficult decisions will 

need to be made about priorities for both 

developer and public funding. For example, 

we may need to prioritise limited developer 

funding between affordable housing, open 

space and other community infrastructure. 

41) What should be the priorities 

for developer contributions 

in the AAP area? 

42) Should we set a CIL as a means 

of providing infrastructure 

for the AAP area? 

Phasing 

The AAP will need to set out the timetable 

for the implementation of the proposals and 

allocations. Phasing will need to be based on 

a number of key factors, such as constraints, 

site remediation requirements, and delivery of 

supporting infrastructure capacity. The AAP will 

also need to be flexible enough to deal with 

external influences that could alter the phasing, 

such as changing economic conditions. 

43) Are there any areas where 

infrastructure will need to be provided 

before development can take place 

e.g. transport improvements? 


Development Partners 

It will be essential for the Council, key 

agencies and the private sector to work 

together to achieve the AAP Vision. The 

Core Strategy has already begun the 

process of involving key partners. These 

have included Advantage West Midlands 

and the Homes and Communities Agency, 

who have a key role to play in delivering 

initiatives through the Wolverhampton 

“Single Conversation” process. The 

Local Enterprise Partnership covering 

Wolverhampton will be a key partner 

in the delivery of the AAP in coming 

years. The AAP process will need to 

bring key agencies together with local 

firms and landowners to discuss and 

ultimately help deliver the proposed 

changes. The successful partnership 

approach to the Bilston Urban Village 

development is a good model to follow. 

The Council’s Statement of Community 

Involvement and Involvement Strategy 

will ensure that the Council involves local 

organisations and communities appropriately 

during the AAP process, so that the AAP 

represents, as far as possible, the consensus of 

the area. We have a consultation database 

of people and organisations with an interest 

in development of the City, but we need 

to make sure we are getting to key local 

representatives as well. 

44) Can you suggest any key local 

firms, landowners or local groups 

that we should engage with 

during production of the AAP? 


53

Part Five – Getting Involved 

Engagement 

The City Council, Heantun Housing Association, 

West Midlands Planning Aid and the Local 

Neighbourhood Partnerships covering the 

Bilston Corridor have worked together to 

prepare an Engagement Plan for the Bilston 

Corridor AAP Issues Stage. A Wolverhampton 

AAP Engagement Strategy has also been 

produced. Both documents are available on 

the Bilston Corridor AAP webpage. 

45) Will the Wolverhampton AAP 

Engagement Strategy and Issues 

Stage Engagement Plan ensure that 

the local community, businesses and 

stakeholders are effectively involved 

in the preparation of the AAP? 

Consultation details will be made available 

primarily through the website and in 

consultation documents. The current 

programme for specific consultation periods 

on the Bilston Corridor AAP is as follows: 

Milestone 

Date 

Issues Paper December 2010 

/ February 2011 

Options Report Summer 2011 

Publication of Area 

Action Plan 

Submission of Area 

Action Plan to 

Secretary of State 

Early 2012 

Summer 2012 

Examination in Public End 2012 

Adoption of Area 

Action Plan 

Early 2013 

Providing Your Response 

to the Issues Paper 

Your views are crucial to help shape the 

future development of the Bilston Corridor. 

We will then be able to identify the detailed 

changes that need to take place and how 

they can be managed effectively. 

46) Are there any development issues that 

are not discussed in this paper that 

you think the AAP should address? 

Your response to the questions and issues 

raised in this Issues Paper (highlighted in blue 

boxes throughout the document) should be 

submitted by 28th February 2011. 

We would prefer for you to submit your 

response electronically. A comments form 

is available on request and on the Bilston 

Corridor AAP webpage. 

We are also happy to receive your response 

in other ways. You only need to give answers 

to questions you wish to reply to. Contact 

details are provided below: 

Planning Policy & Area Plans 

Regeneration and Environment 

Wolverhampton City Council 

Civic Centre 

St Peter’s Square 


WV1 1RP 

E-mail: planning.policy@wolverhampton.gov.uk 

Phone: 01902 554038 

Website: www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/ 

environment/planning/policy/ldf 

Please note that all responses will be treated 

as public documents. 



55

End of Consultation: 28th February 2011 

Planning Policy & Area Plans 

Regeneration and Environment 

Wolverhampton City Council 

Civic Centre 

St Peter’s Square 


WV1 1RP 

Email: planning.policy@wolverhampton.gov.uk 

Phone: 01902 554038 

Website: www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/environment/planning/policy/ldf

Bilston Corridor - Wolverhampton City Council - Home Page

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