Multi-million pound transformation of Walsall’s town centre to begin this month

Once works are complete for this part of the building, known as Bradford Mall, the council promises a lighter and brighter mall with renovated escalators and an additional staircase. The rear entrance by the Bradford Place bus station will also be refurbished.

Young people recently said they felt unsafe in the town centre and that Butler’s Passage which links the town centre to the bus station was unpleasant. Recently Walsall Council leader Garry Perry addressed the issue of beggars making shoppers feel unsafe in the town centre.

The project, known as the Connected Gateway, aims to reinvent the town, making it more welcoming, and move away from traditional retail focused uses. It is funded partly from Walsall’s £1.5 billion programme of investment and £11.4m from the Future High Street Funding which was awarded in 2021.

As well as improvements to the Saddlers Centre, a clear walkway between Walsall Railway Station and the bus station will be created by knocking down some buildings outside the mall, which is set to take place in 2025. The former Marks & Spencer unit will be repurposed into an adult learning facility in partnership with Walsall College.

Speller Metcalfe has been appointed to deliver the renovation of the Saddlers Centre. Most of the work is scheduled to take place outside of business hours, and access to the train station will remain. Businesses in the Saddlers Centre will still be able to operate as normal. 

Councillor Adrian Andrew, Associate Leader of Walsall Council, said: “It’ll be great to get spades in the ground in the town centre and see the scheme start to progress. A more accessible, attractive town centre will drive footfall and create more opportunities for leisure, business and adult learning.”