Town square opening date

The new £2 million town square being constructed as a Continental-style meeting place in West Bromwich by Portuguese craftsmen will open to shoppers in the autumn.

The new cobbled square has been designed to bring a touch of Europe into the town centre as one of the first schemes in a £500 million redevelopment.

Sandwell Council cabinet member Councillor Bob Badham said the new square was due to open in October and would bring a “real touch of class” to the town centre area. He said: “It is a very interesting scheme and the Portuguese workers, who are specialists at this type of work are doing a brilliant job. It will make the town centre a more interesting place.”

Councillor Badham said he had been advocating a special town square for some time because he strongly believed that it was one thing missing from the town centre plans.

“I see it as a meeting place where family and friends can arrange to meet in an attractive place in the improving shopping area,” said Councillor Badham, who is leading the revamp of the town. The council appointed a top award-winning design team to come up with an interesting project for the space, to link the various parts of the town centre area.

Shoppers will be able to use the square to link with The Public arts centre, the revamped Queen’s Square, the High Street and the New Street area. It will also link with a proposed £20 million Tesco store and the Astle Retail Park on the High Street.

Source: Express & Star