Walsall Council has officially confirmed a major investment to redevelop the Blakenall Community Centre in Bloxwich, West Midlands, to provide a modern space for local services. The council published the funding confirmation on 30 January 2026, and the project aims to update the 1980s building on Blakenall Row so it can continue to serve the community for many years to come.
The refurbishment is part of the wider Bloxwich Town Deal and will modernise the centre’s internal layout and expand usable floor space. Walsall Council and project briefings say the work moved from a strip-out phase in late 2025 into full-scale modernisation in early 2026. Local reporting has identified the centre’s refurbishment at about £1.3m, while the broader regeneration funding for the Blakenall/Bloxwich area has been reported as a multi‑million-pound package in the region of £20m–£25m.
Once finished, the hub will offer a range of services, including a food bank, a school uniform exchange (charity shop) and training in digital skills. The centre is operated by Bloxwich Community Partnership and is commonly referred to as the “Palace Play Shop Eat” centre by local residents.
Local leaders say the project is an important step towards addressing long-standing underinvestment in the area. Reporting in local media notes the investment sits within a wider neighbourhood regeneration programme and that some residents remain sceptical about whether funds will reach the most neglected streets as well as central hubs.
Eleanor Boycott, Chief Executive Officer of Bloxwich Community Partnership (and New Horizons Community Enterprise), said the local community deserves high-quality facilities in the heart of their area. Walsall Council has said the redevelopment will future-proof the building to meet residents’ needs for decades to come.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
