The City of Wolverhampton Council has announced plans to illuminate two major city landmarks year-round after dark, as part of a wider effort to boost the local evening economy and improve safety.
The project will see new lighting installations at St Peter’s Gardens and the Wolverhampton Art Gallery by the summer of 2026. The plans include adding light to the gardens’ recently unveiled candle sculpture, improving illumination along the footpaths around St Peter’s Church, and installing colour-changing lights on the exterior of the art gallery.
This initiative is part of the council’s Night Vision strategy, which was approved in October 2025 to improve the city centre after 5pm. Councillor Chris Burden, Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, noted that the move reflects the city’s motto, Out of Darkness Cometh Light, stating the council aims to take the phrase literally as well as metaphorically. The work is being carried out by contractor Studiotech and is supported by funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Before work can begin, the project requires formal approval from the Diocese of Lichfield regarding the church grounds and listed building consent from the council. These lighting upgrades will work alongside other ongoing regeneration projects, including £19 million in improvements across Lichfield Street, Queen Square, and Darlington Street, which are expected to be finished by mid-2027.
The council is also focusing on safety to encourage more visitors to the city centre. In March 2026, a £200,000 safety package was announced, featuring extended hours for Safe Haven support, more CCTV, and additional patrols from the Night Guardian team. This safety package is a partnership involving the council, the Enjoy Wolverhampton BID, the police, and the West Midlands Violence Reduction Partnership.
These efforts aim to help the city achieve Purple Flag accreditation in 2026, which is an international standard for well-managed night-time economies. Research conducted for the 2024 Wolverhampton Night-time Survey found that 90 per cent of residents believe the night-time economy is vital for the city, though many identified personal safety as a significant barrier to visiting the centre at night.
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