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The 鈥楢 Million People: Black Country as an Urban Park鈥� bid was one of four across the country short-listed for a national television and website vote. The Black Country's bid was not successful.

The BIG Lottery Fund announced on the 12th of December 2007 that Sustrans鈥� Connect2 is the winner of The People鈥檚 拢50 Million Lottery contest; the biggest ever award to be decided by a public vote.

Sustrans鈥� Connect2 is a UK-wide project that will create new cycling and walking routes to improve local travel in 79 communities across the country.

Inside Dudley's limestone caverns

Leaders of the 鈥楢 Million People: Black Country as an Urban Park鈥� project have spoken of their disappointment. They have vowed the ambitious scheme, for a 拢100 million environmental 鈥榬evolution鈥� across Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Sandwell, will still become reality, albeit over a longer period of time.

Sarah Middleton, chief executive of the Black Country Consortium that led the joint bid, said:

鈥淚t is a disappointment but the project will go ahead,听 it just won鈥檛 happen as quickly as if we had the 拢50 million from the Big Lottery Fund.

鈥淭hirty three projects entered the competition two years ago and to have gone right to the finishing line is a significant achievement.

鈥淔or the ambitions of the Black Country to be recognised alongside these other internationally prestigious projects is a signal of the great strides the region is making.听 We congratulate Sustrans and wish them well.

鈥淲e have received fantastic support over the past few weeks, from people in the community, from business and from our partners.听 We thank them all and particularly the tens of thousands across the country and in the West Midlands who voted for us.

鈥淭his has been an extremely worthwhile venture.听 The Black Country has gained national recognition for its outstanding industrial heritage, its world-leading geology and the opportunities presented by its unrivalled network of canals and green spaces.

Proposed Barr Beacon visitor centre

鈥淧erhaps more importantly, it has brought so many people and diverse groups together in pursuit of a common cause, something we hope to build on as we go forward.

鈥淪o we will take a quick breath and move on.听 We will shortly be announcing the next steps in achieving Black Country as an Urban Park.鈥�

The 拢50 million of Lottery funding would have supported the first five to ten years of Black Country as an Urban Park activity.

Cheering the Urban Park

More information: Black Country as an Urban Park

The 鈥楢 Million People: Black Country as an Urban Park鈥� bid included four key projects.

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Major visitor and education attractions at Wren鈥檚 Nest National Nature Reserve, Dudley, including stabilising and refurbishing the Seven Sisters limestone mines and subterranean canal basin.听Visitors will travel underground by boat and rise to the surface by an inclined lift.听A new interpretation centre will explain how 400 million years of geology led to the Black Country becoming the 鈥榳orkshop of the world鈥�.

鈥楥anals and Waterways鈥�

This will create new moorings, education and interpretation facilities along City Canals in Wolverhampton; improvements to open space and wildlife habitats, and making the canals safe and accessible to communities.

鈥楪reen Bridge Park鈥�

Plan includes a new low carbon footprint visitor centre at Barr Beacon and expansion of the existing RSPB visitor centre in Sandwell Valley; also a new pedestrian bridge across the A41.

Professor Burland in Dudley mines

鈥楲iving Landscape鈥�

Enhanced and increased access to natural areas around the canal network; involvement of over three-quarters of the one million population.

Bid partners

The partners in the bid were the Black Country Consortium, Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Sandwell Councils and The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country.

They estimate that more than 800,000 people will become within a 15-minute walk of safe and attractive green space if the Urban Park becomes a reality.

Transforming the Black Country

Before the vote, Councillor David Caunt, chair of the Consortium, said: 鈥淭he whole Urban Park project is a 拢100 million programme that will transform the Black Country鈥檚 historic and natural environment based around our unique canal network.

鈥淚t will involve 300,000 children and 3,000 local groups in transforming their environment, provide 60,000 volunteer opportunities, deliver 500 local projects and open up 3,700 acres of green space 鈥� as well as save one of the world鈥檚 most important geological features, the limestone caverns at Wren鈥檚 Nest.鈥�

More information

Further details of 鈥楢 Million People: Black Country as an Urban Park鈥� can be found on www.blackcountryup.co.uk.听