Tamworth Town Centre Investment Strategy sets the stage for future regeneration

The strategy follows a number of improvement projects brought forward with the £21.65 million awarded to the Council from the Future High Streets Fund in 2020 and aims to build on this success with a further round of initiatives and a comprehensive plan for the town’s evolution.

Centred on an outline of key strategic moves, a town centre masterplan framework, layouts and a plan for how future development could evolve, Tibbalds’ report illustrates the potential for future development and investment to regenerate the town while respecting its history and heritage.

It includes short, medium and long term opportunity areas and identifies a number of opportunities, including the Gungate South town centre site, as viable areas for regeneration, tying them together into a comprehensive and transformative vision for the town. Together, the sites present an opportunity to provide around 700 new homes as well as more modern, flexible space for a wider range of town centre uses, connected by sustainable and active forms of transport. Other themes include connecting Tamworth with its neighbourhoods, reintegrating out of town uses with the historic core, creating streets for people and supporting a sustainable parking and delivery system.

Lizzie Le Mare, Director at Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design added: “Tamworth has a compact and attractive town centre and has great potential to attract visitors with its pedestrianised historic centre, open spaces and riverside. However, despite its attractive setting there are currently limited opportunities for residents and visitors to dwell and a lack of sustainable transport connections to other residential areas close to the town centre.

“Tamworth Borough Council has been proactive in prioritising the future of its town, and our report identifies a range of new investment and development opportunities that could be brought forward to revitalise the town centre and help it become a successful, thriving and people-friendly place.”

Tibbalds provided urban design, masterplanning and strategic transport and movement input into the report, working closely with Aspinall Verdi who have provided viability and deliverability advice and Urban Flow, which advised on transport.