Masterplanning and urban design
Benoy was tasked with creating a masterplan for West Bromwich Town Centre that would deliver transformational change to the town centre and create a place that people would be proud to call their home.
Benoy worked closely with Sandwell Council, Savills and Mott MacDonald to develop the Masterplan and demonstrate where key development schemes could be delivered to provide leverage to secure investment and realise opportunities for the town now and for the future.
Regular meetings and workshops were undertaken between the local authority, organisations local colleges and individuals to inform the design and test the viability and concepts throughout the process.
The masterplan looked at both new interventions and adaptions of existing buildings with the resulting proposal promoting a vibrant town centre with open spaces and opportunities for all ages. The proposals emphasised the importance of community and how this could be strengthened through design, placemaking and curating a mix of uses. Community centres, markets and a mix of leisure functions, office and co-working spaces strengthened the town’s fabric with quality public realm interspersed with green parks.
High-quality public realm was essential to facilitate residential development by creating a place people would feel safe in and proud of but also help to change the perceptions of West Bromwich for visitors.
The proposal also focussed on the removal of clutter from the public realm and the rationalisation of street furniture to establish a visual and functional logic, alongside a well-designed public space strategy. The proposals moved away from private car as the dominant means of accessing the town through improved walking and cycling routes, connections to public transport and embracing new opportunities for transport such as car clubs, e‑bike hire, e‑scooters and remote working.
The masterplan delivers improved connectivity within the centre and the surrounding neighbourhoods, with an emphasis on sustainable travel and green linkages, with low-carbon travel options to Dartmouth Park and Sandwell valley. This includes improvements to the cycling and walking network to create a sustainable place to support population growth.
The work, together with the Interim Planning Statement, has given the Council an up-to-date policy framework within which strategic decisions on land use, investment and other forms of development can be taken and subsequently delivered.
