West Bromwich Masterplan wins prestigious national award
A plan for regenerating West Bromwich has been recognised with a prestigious national award. The West Bromwich Masterplan fought off tough competition – including from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea – to win the Plan Making Category at the Planning Awards in London.
What is the West Bromwich Masterplan?
Through the West Bromwich Masterplan, planners at Sandwell Council and partners have set out a vision for growth and prosperity for West Bromwich Town over 20 years. The plan capitalises on development schemes, regeneration and investment to bring work, housing and business opportunities to West Bromwich. It also seeks to ensure West Bromwich is a thriving and resilient town, connected to nature, with an emphasis on sustainable travel and community wellbeing.
How was the West Bromwich Masterplan formed?
The project team (a partnership between Sandwell Council and Savills, Benoy and Mott MacDonald) consulted with many different people in crafting the West Bromwich Masterplan. Much of their work took place during the Covid-19 pandemic, so they had to be creative in coordinating their research. As well as hosting outdoor, socially distanced public consultation events in West Bromwich, they engaged with people via online platforms. This included children from Lyng Primary School, who provided research materials through a writing and illustration competition, and Sandwell College students, who submitted ideas via a design-led digital workshop.
This innovative engagement, alongside the strong guidance and vision outlined in the plan, took the project team to London on Thursday 8 June for a national awards ceremony – hosted by broadcaster Daisy McAndrew.
‘Outstanding work’
In their ninth year, the Planning Awards celebrate ‘outstanding work across the planning and placemaking sectors’ and recognise ‘excellence in planning and associated placemaking disciplines’.
As finalists in the Plan Making Category, the West Bromwich Masterplan project team was up against stiff competition – including from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and Birmingham City Council. So they were delighted to hear that judges had considered the ‘innovation, tenacity and determination’ present in the creation of the West Bromwich Masterplan to be worthy of the award.
West Bromwich Masterplan: ‘An exciting journey of regeneration and development’
Councillor Peter Hughes is Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and West Midlands Combined Authority. He said: “The West Bromwich Masterplan is a credit to officers in Sandwell’s Regeneration team – and shows the huge potential for Sandwell’s largest town.”
“This is just the beginning of an exciting journey of regeneration and development for West Bromwich, which will connect the town to its nearby green spaces, and bring work and leisure opportunities for people who live here.
“Congratulations to everyone involved in creating the award-winning Masterplan for West Bromwich. It provides a high-profile platform for Sandwell Council’s commitment to ongoing transformation. It will also help to attract future investment to a vibrant, resilient town which people are proud to call home – and where communities and businesses will thrive.”
‘Visionary and ambitious’
Danny Collins, Director of Economics at Savills said: “West Bromwich has huge potential, and this ambitious Masterplan aims to capture the opportunities to transform this place, delivering high-quality mixed use development and placemaking.
“It was only possible due to the team work between the council and consultant teams, being visionary and ambitious, and going the extra mile with stakeholder and community engagement even during the challenging lockdown periods.
“It’s a fantastic plan which is already making progress through delivery.”
