A £40,000 cash boost has been handed to the district council to put together a vision for what Bromsgrove town centre should look like in the years to come.
The funding has been awarded by the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership and will map out the future of the High Street.
There will be an invitation to tender next month, a consultant will be appointed by September and then the views of residents, visitors and businesses will be canvassed to get a detailed perception of the best way forward.
The subsequent report into the best way to develop the main shopping area between then and 2040 will go before the Cabinet and then full council next March and April.
Bromsgrove District Council leader Coun Karen May said: “I’m ecstatic that we have got the cash – the High Street is constantly changing and we need to facilitate that.”
The high street and town centre has always been a hot topic among residents and is an issue almost everyone in the district has a view on.
“We all – me included – wants to see a vibrant town centre – and we need to know what that looks like going forward.
“We want to know what we can do to enhance the town centre for customers and install confidence among businesses.
“People need to know we are looking beyond the current situation.”
The funding is part of the GBSLEP’s Strategic Economic Plan to develop thriving town and local centres.
In its report it said: “Whilst Birmingham as a regional core city provides a natural focal point for increasing growth and investment, the surrounding towns and local centres also form a crucial part of the economic fabric of the region.
“However, our town and local centres face challenges to their competitiveness as they make the transition from a retail dominated core to wider social hubs that can offer a variety of opportunities including leisure, culture, and residential.”
The Towns and Local Centres (TLC) Framework takes a co-ordinated view of regeneration activity in towns and local centres across the GBSLEP area, ensuring maximum benefit from the range of projects being delivered and fulfilling the ambitions set out in the SEP.
