Dudley Council approves £10.1m revamp of Castle Hill
by Jessica Tasman-Jones | 15 Mar 2013
The zoo will get a news piazza entrance as part of the Castle Hill upgrade
Dudley Council has approved plans for three attractions at Castle Hill submitted for planning permission in January.
The £10.1m plans for the Dudley Zoological Gardens, the Black Country Living Museum and the Dudley Canal Trust include a shared arrival point for visitors, a new entrance for each attraction and 600 new parking spaces and an upgraded car park.
The plans, which had been shared with the public in February, received unanimous support at the council's development control committee on 11 March.
Council cabinet member for regeneration Shaukat Ali said the redevelopment would create jobs, stimulate tourism and bring more visitors to the area.
"The three visitor attractions on Castle Hill all offer a distinct day out and what we as the council and the visitor attractions want to do is redevelop Castle Hill into a regional leisure and cultural destination that will collectively offer even more than it already does," Ali said.
The European Regional Development Fund is contributing £4.5m to the project, with the council, the attractions and the Heritage Lottery Fund contributing the remainder.
Dudley Council has approved plans for three attractions at Castle Hill submitted for planning permission in January. The £10.1m plans for the Dudley Zoological Gardens, the Black Country Living Museum and the Dudley Canal Trust include a shared arrival point for visitors, a new entrance for each attraction and 600 new parking spaces and an upgraded car park. The plans, which had been shared with the public in February, received
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