On track to a brighter future
Let’s celebrate our growing City of Opportunity
Transformation of Wolverhampton railway station is underway.
Our city has seen significant investment in recent years – i54, the Interchange, Steelpark Way, Bilston Urban Village to name but a few – the coming years will see even more. Change is in the air and the scale and pace is ramping up. We are laying the foundations for future growth and people are telling me they feel their city is on the up. Building work is happening right now at our new multimillion pound railway station, our Metro links are getting bigger and better, new homes are being built at the fastest rate for a long while, massive expansion plans at i54 will bring jobs and opportunity, which is exactly what our Wolves at Work programme has done for thousands of local people already. A new, vibrant city centre market opened in the summer, work on the exciting urban village scheme in Bilston is progressing, the long-derelict Springfield brewery site is being transformed by our university and our world-famous football club has hit the big time again and has hugely exciting redevelopment ambitions. And there’s much more to talk about.
Like other cities, we face many challenges and uncertainties. But times are changing and we have to reject the negativity fuelled by a few cynics. We have a lot to be proud of and, as the investment continues to be made, we need to step out with a renewed optimism and confidence. This is a city with such incredibly talented people, a city of opportunity with a bright future. We have a lot to shout about, so let’s be proud of who we are and get behind our great city.
Councillor Roger Lawrence, Leader, City of Wolverhampton Council
CONNECT WITH US: Facebook: Wolverhampton Today
Twitter: @WolvesCouncil
Instagram: Wolverhampton Today
Subscribe to email updates: www.wolverhampton.gov.uk
A year of change
i9 office building - work to begin in 2019
A £3.7 billion future
we can all invest in
City of Wolverhampton is being transformed by new investment bringing new jobs and new opportunities… Working with partners, City of Wolverhampton Council is helping to bring billions of pounds of public and private investment into the city, increasing the number of jobs on offer and new opportunities for residents. We’re making the living experience better, extending the choice of homes available, improving leisure and entertainment facilities and hosting more things to do in and around the city centre. The city has already changed tremendously over the past couple of years and this will continue in the years ahead with more exciting changes on the way.
Better connectivity New station and Metro line
New Metro stop at Pipers Row Foundation works have begun on the new railway station following the first phase of demolition on the old building. It is the next stage in delivering a £150 million transport hub to connect trains, buses and trams as part of wider plans to bring more jobs and investment to the city. The first section of the new station is expected to open to customers in autumn 2019, when phase 2 of the programme – bringing down the remainder of the current station building and completing the new build - will also start. It will be fully open in summer 2020. Midlands Metro Alliance is also currently working on the Pipers Row and Railway Drive phases of the tram extension to the railway station. The overall Interchange project is creating hundreds of jobs and apprenticeship opportunities, particularly in construction.
More jobs
New small businesses such as Tony’s Delicatessen and The Parisian have recently opened in the city centre, and the council has grasped the challenge of the changing face of the high street. It has announced plans to set up a City Centre Commission and is looking at a range of options to breathe new life into it not least through the Westside Link scheme. First phase works are due to start in May 2019 and the whole project will ultimately see large parts of the city centre pedestrianised and transformed into event spaces. This will create a more inviting environment and better link it to the £55 million Westside leisure-led development on the site of the old market. Westside will bring a multiplex cinema, leisure space, restaurants and bars, and a multi-storey car park to the city centre in phase one. The iconic Civic Halls celebrated their 80th birthday this year. The ageing building continues to undergo preparatory works to get it ready for a much-needed full restoration next year. The multi-million-pound scheme will remain sensitive to the building’s heritage, while creating an amazing entertainment space fit for the finest music, comedy, theatre and sport.
Better retail and leisure offer New market and Mander Centre
The city centre has been further enhanced this year with the arrival of a new modern multi-million-pound market on Cleveland Street that has boosted trader numbers. The Mander Centre’s £35 million refurbishment is also progressing, with major brands like TH Baker and New Look opening new stores there this year on the back of the centre’s flagship Debenhams store launch.
Investment in the city is also increasing job opportunities in advanced manufacturing. 2018 has seen ERA and Tentec become the latest companies to add to the big names - JLR, Moog, ISP, Eurofins - in residence at i54. This success has spurred a planning application for a Western Extension to i54, which, if approved, would mean one large or several smaller employers could deliver 1,700 jobs on site. More than £1 billion has so far been invested in the current i54 site, with 2,500 people employed by multi-national companies. A further 2,100 new jobs are anticipated over the next few years.
165 jobs at new £7m Steelpark Trading Estate in Wednesfield.
1,000+ new homes by WV Living in next 4 years – underway. Up to 500 homes at Bilston Urban Village – underway.
2,500 jobs with a further 2,100 anticipated at i54 from initial £1.15bn investment. Current planned extension could deliver an additional 1,700 jobs.
Target of 10,000 new homes to be built between 2006 - 2026.
New Commercial District will deliver high quality office space bringing thousands of jobs within city’s integrated road, rail and Metro hub.
Better homes Thousands planned in coming years Wolves at Work helps 3,525 residents into jobs In all employment sectors, the hugely successful Wolves at Work programme is ensuring local people get access to the jobs being created. Run by City of Wolverhampton Council and Department for Work and Pensions, it set out in January 2017 to get 3,000 local people into work, including 1,000 young people over 3 years. It has so far seen 3,525 local people gain employment – around 45 per cent of which are aged 18 to 29.
Leading the way, the council’s own housing company, WV Living, is building the first of 1,000 new homes over four years. This will include new development at Heath Town, where 300 new homes will be built. WV Living is not only helping to accelerate the pace of house building in the city but is also giving confidence to private developers. Award-winning builder, Countryside, will begin building 420 new homes on Bilston Urban Village in the New Year – and Homes England has had plans approved by the council to convert the former Royal Hospital and associated land into homes. The council is also making use of small sites across the city to build council homes. It is using innovative construction methods such as the erection of four new-style modular houses off Cannock Road in Fallings Park.
Further development around the station will see work start on the new landmark i9 Grade A office block on Railway Drive next year. This is part of the council’s more ambitious plans to create one million square foot of high-quality office space in a vibrant, new Commercial District at the heart of the city centre - generating thousands of jobs.
Better skills A city leading urban innovation
A major skills hub in the city is the University of Wolverhampton’s £100 million Springfield Campus, where work last month got underway on the campus’ flagship facility – the new School of Architecture and the Built Environment. It will join the West Midlands University Technical College, which opened in January 2017, and the Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills Hub, which was officially opened in November.
CONNECT WITH US: Facebook: Wolverhampton Today
Better skills
A vibrant city City centre market attracts record number of visitors and traders at new location.
Wolves at Work programme has supported 3,525 residents into jobs in less than 2 years. Find out more at www.wolvesworkbox.com
New Commercial District
Heath Town ready for new development
New city centre market attracting record visitors
Better job opportunities i54 growth and Wolves at Work gather pace
New homes
Multi-million pound Civic Halls regeneration underway – bringing bigger, better shows.
Ebay Retail Revival scheme in partnership with the City Council will boost digital skills of 100+ small retailers over 12 months.
3rd best UK city to raise a family according to the MoneySupermarket Family Living Index.
3,581 new apprentices have started in our city over the last two years (between April 16 and June 18) including 103 with the city council.
CONNECT WITH US: Twitter: @WolvesCouncil
Instagram: Wolverhampton Today
Subscribe to email updates: www.wolverhampton.gov.uk
Facebook: Wolverhampton Today
Twitter: @WolvesCouncil
Instagram: Wolverhampton Today
Subscribe to email updates: www.wolverhampton.gov.uk
A year of change
i9 office building - work to begin in 2019
A £3.7 billion future
we can all invest in
City of Wolverhampton is being transformed by new investment bringing new jobs and new opportunities… Working with partners, City of Wolverhampton Council is helping to bring billions of pounds of public and private investment into the city, increasing the number of jobs on offer and new opportunities for residents. We’re making the living experience better, extending the choice of homes available, improving leisure and entertainment facilities and hosting more things to do in and around the city centre. The city has already changed tremendously over the past couple of years and this will continue in the years ahead with more exciting changes on the way.
Better connectivity New station and Metro line
New Metro stop at Pipers Row Foundation works have begun on the new railway station following the first phase of demolition on the old building. It is the next stage in delivering a £150 million transport hub to connect trains, buses and trams as part of wider plans to bring more jobs and investment to the city. The first section of the new station is expected to open to customers in autumn 2019, when phase 2 of the programme – bringing down the remainder of the current station building and completing the new build - will also start. It will be fully open in summer 2020. Midlands Metro Alliance is also currently working on the Pipers Row and Railway Drive phases of the tram extension to the railway station. The overall Interchange project is creating hundreds of jobs and apprenticeship opportunities, particularly in construction.
More jobs
New small businesses such as Tony’s Delicatessen and The Parisian have recently opened in the city centre, and the council has grasped the challenge of the changing face of the high street. It has announced plans to set up a City Centre Commission and is looking at a range of options to breathe new life into it not least through the Westside Link scheme. First phase works are due to start in May 2019 and the whole project will ultimately see large parts of the city centre pedestrianised and transformed into event spaces. This will create a more inviting environment and better link it to the £55 million Westside leisure-led development on the site of the old market. Westside will bring a multiplex cinema, leisure space, restaurants and bars, and a multi-storey car park to the city centre in phase one. The iconic Civic Halls celebrated their 80th birthday this year. The ageing building continues to undergo preparatory works to get it ready for a much-needed full restoration next year. The multi-million-pound scheme will remain sensitive to the building’s heritage, while creating an amazing entertainment space fit for the finest music, comedy, theatre and sport.
Better retail and leisure offer New market and Mander Centre
The city centre has been further enhanced this year with the arrival of a new modern multi-million-pound market on Cleveland Street that has boosted trader numbers. The Mander Centre’s £35 million refurbishment is also progressing, with major brands like TH Baker and New Look opening new stores there this year on the back of the centre’s flagship Debenhams store launch.
Investment in the city is also increasing job opportunities in advanced manufacturing. 2018 has seen ERA and Tentec become the latest companies to add to the big names - JLR, Moog, ISP, Eurofins - in residence at i54. This success has spurred a planning application for a Western Extension to i54, which, if approved, would mean one large or several smaller employers could deliver 1,700 jobs on site. More than £1 billion has so far been invested in the current i54 site, with 2,500 people employed by multi-national companies. A further 2,100 new jobs are anticipated over the next few years.
165 jobs at new £7m Steelpark Trading Estate in Wednesfield.
1,000+ new homes by WV Living in next 4 years – underway. Up to 500 homes at Bilston Urban Village – underway.
2,500 jobs with a further 2,100 anticipated at i54 from initial £1.15bn investment. Current planned extension could deliver an additional 1,700 jobs.
Target of 10,000 new homes to be built between 2006 - 2026.
New Commercial District will deliver high quality office space bringing thousands of jobs within city’s integrated road, rail and Metro hub.
Better homes Thousands planned in coming years Wolves at Work helps 3,525 residents into jobs In all employment sectors, the hugely successful Wolves at Work programme is ensuring local people get access to the jobs being created. Run by City of Wolverhampton Council and Department for Work and Pensions, it set out in January 2017 to get 3,000 local people into work, including 1,000 young people over 3 years. It has so far seen 3,525 local people gain employment – around 45 per cent of which are aged 18 to 29.
Leading the way, the council’s own housing company, WV Living, is building the first of 1,000 new homes over four years. This will include new development at Heath Town, where 300 new homes will be built. WV Living is not only helping to accelerate the pace of house building in the city but is also giving confidence to private developers. Award-winning builder, Countryside, will begin building 420 new homes on Bilston Urban Village in the New Year – and Homes England has had plans approved by the council to convert the former Royal Hospital and associated land into homes. The council is also making use of small sites across the city to build council homes. It is using innovative construction methods such as the erection of four new-style modular houses off Cannock Road in Fallings Park.
Further development around the station will see work start on the new landmark i9 Grade A office block on Railway Drive next year. This is part of the council’s more ambitious plans to create one million square foot of high-quality office space in a vibrant, new Commercial District at the heart of the city centre - generating thousands of jobs.
Better skills A city leading urban innovation
A major skills hub in the city is the University of Wolverhampton’s £100 million Springfield Campus, where work last month got underway on the campus’ flagship facility – the new School of Architecture and the Built Environment. It will join the West Midlands University Technical College, which opened in January 2017, and the Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills Hub, which was officially opened in November.
CONNECT WITH US: Facebook: Wolverhampton Today
Better skills
A vibrant city City centre market attracts record number of visitors and traders at new location.
Wolves at Work programme has supported 3,525 residents into jobs in less than 2 years. Find out more at www.wolvesworkbox.com
New Commercial District
Heath Town ready for new development
New city centre market attracting record visitors
Better job opportunities i54 growth and Wolves at Work gather pace
New homes
Multi-million pound Civic Halls regeneration underway – bringing bigger, better shows.
Ebay Retail Revival scheme in partnership with the City Council will boost digital skills of 100+ small retailers over 12 months.
3rd best UK city to raise a family according to the MoneySupermarket Family Living Index.
3,581 new apprentices have started in our city over the last two years (between April 16 and June 18) including 103 with the city council.
CONNECT WITH US: Twitter: @WolvesCouncil
Instagram: Wolverhampton Today
Subscribe to email updates: www.wolverhampton.gov.uk
Facebook: Wolverhampton Today
Twitter: @WolvesCouncil
Instagram: Wolverhampton Today
Subscribe to email updates: www.wolverhampton.gov.uk
vibrant city events Bringing you
whatsonwolverhampton.com
#Proud2BeWolves rings loud as city sees record visitors
bwin Grand Slam of Darts attracts global visitors
City of Wolverhampton Council’s Aldersley Leisure Village played host to a record-breaking night during this year’s bwin Grand Slam of Darts. The PDC tournament, first staged in 2007, has been switched to the new venue while its historic Civic Halls home undergoes a major £38 million full restoration. The move helped the city keep hold of this important international sporting event, which was screened in over 130 countries. The evening session on the first Saturday of the event, run jointly by City of Wolverhampton Council and the PDC, saw the biggest ever audience for a session. More than 1,700 watched the best darts players in the world in action – surpassing the Civic Halls’ 1,200.
Thousands enjoy Festival of Food and Drink
In July, City of Wolverhampton’s Festival of Food and Drink saw record attendance over one weekend – up by almost 7,000 on last year’s inaugural event. More than 25,000 people enjoyed the festival in the heart of the city centre over two days after snapping up free tickets. The economic benefit to the city over the weekend is estimated at around £420,000. Families revelled in the sunshine off Wulfruna Street, with a wide range of food and drink available, artisan stalls, live music, an open-air cinema, and traditional fairground games across both days. The popular Festival of Food and Drink will return to the city in summer 2019.
A sea of old gold and black for Wolves FC parade Tens of thousands of fans lined the city centre on a glorious sunny day in May to enjoy Wolves’ open top bus parade, as the club celebrated its Championship title triumph and promotion to the Premier League. City of Wolverhampton Council joined forces with Wolves FC to stage a day that will live long in the memory. More than 80,000 proud fans poured into the city centre, with the majority lining the parade route, while 30,000 ticket-holders turned West Park old gold and black in a family friendly ‘party in the park’. The estimated economic benefit to the city is estimated to be more than £1 million.
CONNECT WITH US: Facebook: Wolverhampton Today
Twitter: @WolvesCouncil
Instagram: Wolverhampton Today
Subscribe to email updates: www.wolverhampton.gov.uk