Demolition to mark next stage of town's revamp

Middle Entry renovations will see some empty units knocked down and replaced by a new building for small businesses, the council said

The next phase of the regeneration of the centre of Tamworth is due to start with the demolition of vacant units, according to a local authority.

Tamworth Borough Council says it will build a new flexible, multi-use space for independent small businesses on the Staffordshire site, next to Middle Entry, through 2024.

The council is also carrying out maintenance work on empty sites on Market Street and preparing a conservation programme for historic buildings.

The £21m regeneration project was aimed at bringing town centre facilities up to date for modern shoppers, the authority said.

Their wider plan includes establishing a new enterprise centre in the former Co-op building on Colehill as well as restorating historic properties on Market Street.

They also plan a Georgian-style revamp of the former Peel Café building to "bring it back into active use".

The scheme also includes widening a footbridge into the Castle Grounds.

Work on the new flexible-use building and Tamworth Enterprise Centre was expected to be complete by the end of the year, the council said.

While work on the former Peel Cafe is due to be completed by late spring when it will then be handed over to the Nationwide Building Society.

On top of those projects, a new college was being built by South Staffordshire College to replace the demolished 1960s part of the Co-op building, the authority added.

Combined the projects represented a total investment of more than £40m, a spokesperson said, with money to fund them coming from the government.