WP3612 - Walsall Town Centre Footfall Counting Scheme - AWARD

Walsall Town Centre is the strategic centre for the borough; providing a sub-regional focus for the local economy and community. As part of the Birmingham and Black Country conurbation. Walsall has a retail catchment of over 3 million people. Its central location provides excellent connectivity by road and rail to Birmingham, London and the rest of the UK. The town centre's centrally located railway station and bus interchange generates 15 million passenger trips per year providing Walsall with an infrastructure network that can facilitate significant growth. Like many town centres and high streets across the country, Walsall Town Centre is facing some well publicised common challenges as a result of unprecedented changes in the retail industry as well as changing consumer behaviours and expectations. In response, to these challenges, the Council produced a Town Centre Masterplan, which provides a 20-year vision and sets-out 10 catalytic interventions, which will enable the physical transformation of the Town Centre. Furthermore, following the success of a 1st round application to the Government's Future High Streets Fund (FHSF) Walsall Council are now working through the 2nd stage application process and preparing a full business case to Government. If successful at this 2nd stage, securing FHSF funding will enable the council to deliver Phase 1 of the Town Centre Masterplan (as set-out below). Footfall data is an invaluable metric which can help direct places to better understand what is happening in their area. This data also provides a useful indicator of a projects success. If the submission for FHSF is successful there is a Government requirement for the Council to measure and capture footfall data across the defined intervention area prior to project commencement, during implementation and post completion. The Council is seeking external support to deliver this. Phase 1 Masterplan Delivery - The FHSF Project The FHSF project focusses on creating a 'coherent transport gateway' that better connects the centrally located bus and rail stations, spanning across the centre of Walsall's high street (Park Street). The project will radically improve the visitor experience, drive wider regenerative benefits and re-position Walsall's economic status as a sub-regional centre. The project consists of two parts as described below; Transforming the Walsall Rail Station/ Saddlers Centre - This element will transform the rail station arrival experience by creating a better connected, more welcoming place for visitors and residents. It will enhance the rail concourse, provide better access to the rail station platforms and give the rail station a greater presence within the Town Centre. The FHSF project will also modernise and re-purpose existing retail floorspace within the Saddlers Shopping Centre, for alternative uses including Food & Beverage and leisure uses. Creation of Station Public...