Type=image;ImageID=7944;ImageClass=left;ImageTitle=Queen Street as it is now;TitleClass=strong;
A grant of £864,100 to further develop the Queen Street Gateway Enhancement Project has been unlocked through the Heritage Lottery Fund's (HLF) Townscape Heritage scheme, following an initial £40,000 of development funding*.
City of Wolverhampton Council has also committed £250,000 of match funding to the scheme as part of its wider regeneration plans and £1.1 million will come from investment by the owners of the buildings who receive grants.
The project will provide a limited number of grants to assist owners with essential repairs and improvements to their properties in Queen Street, one of the most historic streets in the Wolverhampton City Centre Conservation Area.
It will help to support the city's Interchange scheme, improving an important pedestrian route from the bus and rail stations through to the city centre's main retail shopping area.
The council will be working with other parties representing local community interests to deliver the scheme over the next four and a half years - with works set to start in spring.
The Townscape Heritage Partnership includes Wolverhampton BID Company, the Wolverhampton Civic and Historical Society, Wolverhampton Cultural Arts Organisation, Wolverhampton Partners in Progress, Wolverhampton Society of Architects, The Friends of the Archives, Wolverhampton Building Regeneration Preservation Trust and Wolverhampton College.
Councillor Peter Bilson, City of Wolverhampton Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for City Assets, said: "We have been working closely with the property owners, and our project partners, to develop proposals.
"This will help breathe new life into the area and its businesses, while at the same time staying true to its history.
"It is a huge boost to the Council's Public Realms works and multi million pound regeneration plans as a whole."
Queen Street has many important listed buildings dating back to the early 19th century.
Anne Jenkins, Deputy Director of Operations at the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: "Thanks to National Lottery players, we're delighted to support a project that not only protects some precious built heritage but also contributes to Wolverhampton's future.
"Townscape Heritage projects are not just about bricks and mortar, they are also about boosting pride in an area and providing opportunities for the people who live and work there."
The project will also include a number of community engagement activities, such as the provision of Heritage construction skills training in collaboration with City of Wolverhampton College, and the development of an App tour of the city conservation area, in both adult and children's formats.
- released: Tuesday 6 October, 2015