Works will this week get underway to improve the Bilston-Bert Williams Leisure Centre car park ahead of construction starting on a new state-of-the-art Bilston Health & Wellbeing Facility to serve the community.

Outline planning approval is already in place for the new facility on the council-owned site, adjacent to the WV Active Bilston-Bert Williams leisure centre and Bilston Urban Village medical centre.

Initial works will take place between October and December 2025 to extend the leisure centre car park by an extra 25 parking spaces for use by leisure centre and health & wellbeing facility visitors. The enhanced 125-space car park will be supported by the installation of an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system providing anti-social behaviour alerts. The works will also include improvements to signage & wayfinding, pedestrian areas and landscaping.

Detailed designs for the health & wellbeing facility and public space improvements are being developed, with a contractor set to be appointed to carry out the development works in the New Year.

This important community asset will bring together partners and providers of primary and community health, social care, wellbeing and leisure to support residents. The new facility will be located conveniently a short distance from Bilston Central public transport interchange, Bilston markets and Bilston Urban Village nature reserve.

It will also act as an anchor within the community, investing in early intervention and prevention, giving access to a campus that builds resilience, integrates and transforms primary and community services and brings care closer to people's homes - connecting people, communities and place.

It will be mostly funded from the £20million Government grant the council secured for its transformative Bilston Health & Regeneration Programme.

Councillor Chris Burden, Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, said: “Following positive feedback from residents and healthcare users, and securing planning approval, the car park improvements take us a step closer towards the delivery of the new state-of-the-art facility for Bilston that will provide invaluable health and wellbeing services for the local community.

“It will be located where it can benefit the community the most, right in the centre, making it highly accessible for users, and bringing footfall that will benefit local businesses.”