Changes have been made to plans to transform part of a town centre over concerns about levels of disruption.
Tamworth Borough Council has decided not to progress all original plans for Middle Entry as part of the Future High Street Fund project.
Instead, the £1.4 million that the local authority was contributing to the project will now be diverted to fund regeneration work in the Gungate part of Tamworth town centre.
The original plans included removing the glazed roof and the ‘bridge links’ at either end of the Middle Entry, and demolishing numbers 9 Middle Entry and 18, 18a and 19 Market Street and 20, 20a and 21 George Street to enable a new flexible, multi-use building for new and small businesses.
The glazed roof and golden bridges will now remain.
Leader of the Council, Carol Dean said: “This has been a difficult decision to make, but it is the right one; we simply could not continue knowing the bridge links could not be removed without closing the entrances to Middle Entry for some time.
“To fund this part of the project, the previous political administration diverted funding from Gungate to pay for the works, now that money will go back into the pot to support further regeneration work in the Gungate part of town.
“Considering both aspects, it became clear that the original plans for Middle Entry could not go ahead.”
The borough council made the decision, which was ratified by full council last week, in partnership with Middle Entry owners Peer Group.
For health and safety reasons, work to remove the ‘bridge links’ would mean that each entrance to Middle Entry would need to be closed for a number of months.
This level of disruption has been deemed ‘too significant’ for all businesses in the town.
Middle Entry will however be re-paved to match the new paving in St Editha’s Square and outside Middle Entry around the new buildings, Town Hall and entrance to Castle Grounds.
Jamie Smith, Senior Regional Property Manager from Peer Group said: “We regret that the Tamworth ‘bridge link’ development project has come to an end. The decision was made after careful consideration, with a strong focus on the potential impact the works would have on stakeholders in the area. The original plan to remove the ‘bridge links’ would have required lengthy closures and caused significant disruption to the area.
“While this original plan will not proceed, Peer Group remains committed to supporting Tamworth’s regeneration and is pleased to see the finances being redirected towards Gungate.
“Tamworth Middle Entry plays an important role as one of Peer Group’s fundamental sites, and we are glad to see the community spirit being strengthened through these council-driven projects.”
No plans for the Gungate area have yet been released.
