Bromsgrove District Council’s approach to key redevelopment opportunities in Bromsgrove town centre up to 2040 has been agreed in principle.

Cabinet members at their meeting last week (Wednesday July 12) endorsed a detailed report on five potential strategic regeneration opportunities in the town.

The proposed regeneration of two of the sites – site clearance works to unlock land at Windsor Street including the former fire station and library for residential development, and a commercial and cultural development on land at St John Street including the last part of the former Market Hall site – has been backed by £14.5m secured from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

Two more proposed sites feature in local plans, namely land at Stourbridge Road next to Aldi which could become a commercial or mixed-residential development, and at School Drive between the church and the leisure centre which could become a residential development.

And a new fifth site was endorsed, on Churchfields Road, where the Churchfields multi-storey car park could be replaced with a residential development in the future.

Bromsgrove District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economic Development, Cllr Sue Baxter, said: “This report illustrates the council’s regeneration priorities in Bromsgrove and will form part of a bigger picture as we develop our wider strategy.

“Town centres have got to keep moving and regenerate themselves to keep up with the times and the changing needs of shoppers, residents, and businesses. It’s important the council listens and identifies the right opportunities to do this, to ensure that major unused or underused sites don’t stay that way, don’t stagnate, and instead get the best chance of a new lease life to attract people and investment into a vibrant town centre.”

Leader of the Council, Cllr Karen May, said: “This council has a proven track record of delivering high quality regeneration projects that benefit our local economy, and of securing investment into the district. Part that is ensuring we are actively driving the strategic process forward, backed by high quality work. We believe this ambitious and deliverable vision will enable the regeneration Bromsgrove needs in the near future.”

The Bromsgrove Town Centre 2040 Vision report identifies potential strategic regeneration opportunities and follows on from the town’s previous regeneration strategy. That saw a partnership of agencies formed in 2008 relay Bromsgrove’s High Street, expand its market, build a new library and doctors surgery in a public services hub at Parkside, build a new blue light complex, leisure centre, and bus and train stations, and turn former brownfield sites at Recreation Road, St John Street, and Burcot Lane into new commercial and residential developments.