City economy chief says regeneration successes will provide springboard for plans

City of Wolverhampton Council’s Deputy Leader has highlighted recent regeneration successes that will act as a springboard for the city’s economic priorities and plans.

The schemes have boosted the local economy, improved the city’s infrastructure, and are expected to deliver further growth, investment, skills and jobs.

They include four key council-led projects – the i9 office development, Wolverhampton Interchange, i54 and The Halls Wolverhampton.

The £16million award-winning i9 office development sits at the heart of a growing city centre commercial district and is rated BREEAM Excellent. It is home to hundreds of jobs and boasts the first Government HQ outside of London – the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

The £150million Wolverhampton Interchange is a key gateway into the city, providing a bus station, state-of-the-art railway station and soon-to-be-completed tram extension that brings all these modes of transport together in one city centre location. It better connects residents and visitors to jobs, training and leisure opportunities and offers businesses first-class network connections. The scheme received the top regional prize for planning excellence in the 2020 Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) West Midlands Awards and in the same year scooped Regeneration Project of the Year at Insider’s West Midlands Property Awards.

I54 South Staffordshire, which sits on the county border with Wolverhampton, is one of the most successful enterprise zones in the UK and has attracted multi-national investment of more than £1billion. It hosts a workforce of around 2,700 people, with half of the jobs held by people living within a 10-mile radius. It was created by a partnership of City of Wolverhampton Council, Staffordshire County Council and South Staffordshire Council - and a new i54 western extension will soon see new occupiers join the likes Jaguar Land Rover, Moog, ISP and Eurofins at the business park.

The new-look The Halls Wolverhampton reopened to rave reviews at the end of last month following a vital multi-million-pound refurbishment completed by the Council and new venue operators, AEG Presents, that will ensure the Grade II-listed halls remain part of the city’s fabric for generations to come. The iconic venue is hosting leading music and entertainment performers, as well as business events and conferences. It will attract more than 300,000 visitors to the city each year and boost the local economy by £10million annually. Plans are also benefitting local businesses, creating new employment opportunities, and raising the city’s national and international profile.  

Councillor Stephen Simkins, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Inclusive City Economy, provided the details as part of an update to last night’s Economy and Growth Scrutiny Panel.

He said: “These regeneration schemes are already making a huge difference to the Wolverhampton economy and it is our duty to ensure the city’s priorities and plans build on this success.

“As a council we have led the way on these developments, working with public and private sector partners to achieve the best for our residents and businesses.

“We will continue to leverage funding from Government through various channels, whilst building on our strong track record of attracting private sector investment.

“The Wolverhampton Investment Prospectus presents an ambitious vision of how the city can grow – highlighting opportunities that will deliver further strategic regeneration to support housing delivery, jobs, the commercial offer, business rates and council tax, as well as wider impacts of vibrancy and footfall.”