There was double delight in the Black Country with Halesowen and Brierley Hill both being given £20 million of Levelling Up funding from the government. The £40m boost was hailed as a “pivotal moment” by Dudley Council’s leader, Patrick Harley, who welcomed Levelling Up secretary Michael Gove to the borough this week.

In Halesowen, £20m will be spent on a state-of-the-art new building in the town centre in partnership with Halesowen College for training programmes and adult education courses. The Pool Road multi-storey car park is set to make way for the new college facility.

Elsewhere, money will also be spent on improving the town’s cycling provision, pedestrian access while also introducing new traffic-calming measures in and out of Halesowen town centre.

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In Brierley Hill, the eight-figure fee will help create a new transport technologies centre with Dudley College to offer training and upskilling in future transport technologies, including electric and hybrid vehicles.

There will also be investment in the way people can move around Brierley Hill through improving connectivity between the new technology centre, Merry Hill Centre and the High Street. This will include extending and adding to the existing cycling infrastructure and improving pedestrian access.

Coun Harley beamed: “This is a pivotal moment for the future of Halesowen and Brierley Hill town centres as it will allow us to push ahead with our ambitious regeneration plans.

“We’ve already been successful in securing Future High Streets and Heritage Action Zone funding for Brierley Hill, which is allowing us to improve transport links and the High Street, upgrade public toilets, refurbish the library and provide new seating, planting and cycle facilities for the town.

Brumwish 2023 - buy a gift for a child in need

BrumWish 2023 is Birmingham Live's festive drive to get thousands of gifts to children and young people across our city - among them the homeless, the vulnerable, kids in care, kids who are poorly or struggling, and kids who have little.

There are THREE simple ways to help.

  1. Buy a new gift from the Brumwish Amazon giftlist. In just a click your donation will be whizzing its way to our volunteers at Edgbaston Stadium.
  2. Donate money to the appeal fund hosted by Birmingham Thrive Together - this will help pay for gifts for kids with specialist needs or specific wishes
  3. Buy a gift and, even better, rope in friends, neighbours and workmates to do the same, then drop off your pressies at special gifting days on Friday 8th December and Saturday 9th December at Edgbaston Stadium, 11am - 3pm. Volunteers will be there to greet you and thank you for your support. Please don't wrap.

Thanks to our partnership with #Toys4Birmingham, every single gift will find a good home in the loving care of a child living in B&Bs or hotels, hostels or refuges, children receiving support from specialist organisations and charities, and families being supported by children's centres and charities around the city.

Making up the Brumwish and Toys4Birmingham gang are Birmingham Thrive Together, Birmingham Playcare Network, Edgbaston Foundation (part of Edgbaston Stadium and Warwickshire County Cricket Club), Birmingham Forward Steps who first dreamed up #Toys4Birmingham and BirminghamLive/Birmingham Mail.

Thank you to Amazon UK and the amazing team at the Sutton Coldfield depot for their support.

“Brierley Hill is also set to benefit from the Midland Metro extension, which will link it to Wednesbury via Dudley town centre and the national rail network beyond.

“But with this funding we can go further and continue with our commitment to improve the borough for the people who live, work, visit or study here. In Halesowen, the new college building will be right in the town centre and provide upskilling opportunities to boost employability standards.

“In Brierley Hill, the new technology centre will allow students to be at the cutting edge of technology and support a growing industry where more people are choosing to drive hybrid or electric vehicles to reduce their carbon emissions. I welcome this investment and look forward to seeing these projects get off the ground.”