Great news for Bilston!
After more than a decade, Bilston is set to celebrate the return of its annual carnival this year as part of a wider package of events driven by the town’s Pride in Place Regeneration Programme.
Bilston Carnival was last staged in 2008 and plans for its return are being driven by popular demand from the local community.
Full details of this year’s carnival will be released in the coming months
This isn’t just the return of a much‑loved community event…
It’s part of a 10‑year vision and 4‑year investment plan, backed by £20 million of Labour government funding, to make Bilston cleaner, safer, more vibrant and full of opportunity.
And let’s be clear – this investment is happening because of Labour.
Pride in Place is a national Labour programme bringing long‑term funding into communities that have been overlooked for too long. It takes earlier commitments and turns them into a bigger, stronger, 10‑year regeneration plan that puts power directly into the hands of local people.
Bilston’s £20m is a result of that approach – a Labour government making regeneration real, long‑term and community‑led.
Residents told us they want:
– A cleaner, safer and more welcoming town
– More apprenticeships and jobs for young people
– A revitalised high street and thriving markets
– Inclusive community spaces
– Heritage protected and celebrated
-Better infrastructure and places to come together
The priority projects identified in the four-year investment plan for Bilston include:
• Bilston public realm cleansing and improvements: Kick starting the Pride in Place works will be an intense programme of cleaning and public realm improvements, in line with the Love Your Community initiative. Council-led teams working alongside communities to improve local neighbourhoods and most importantly work with residents to sustain the commitment to looking after their neighbourhoods.
• High Street public realm improvements: Developing a scheme in consultation with local people to make improvements to Bilston High Street to include lighting, benches, public art, CCTV and other safety features such as hostile vehicle management.
• Parks and green spaces: Developing a scheme of improvements to parks and green spaces across Bilston, including play parks.
• Community spaces improvement scheme: To provide capital improvements to community centres and other facilities to improve social infrastructure and provision of youth activities.
• Annual Carnival and Events Programme: The carnival will become an annual flagship event in the Bilston calendar. It will be part of a wider events programme to help drive footfall and provide activities for the people of Bilston, as well as opportunities to celebrate the history and heritage of the town.
• Heritage signage: To celebrate the town’s unique identity at key strategic locations, it is proposed to improve signage and public art providing opportunities for walking trails that highlight Bilston’s rich history and heritage.
See less