Wolverhampton City Council is set to appoint a contractor for enabling works at Six Mile Green, a key development site within the city's Green Innovation Corridor (GIC). The decision is subject to Cabinet approval on Wednesday 14 October.
Six Mile Green comprises four brownfield sites located close to University of Wolverhampton Science Park. Planning permission is already in place for the redevelopment, which forms part of the pioneering GIC programme led jointly by City of Wolverhampton Council and the University of Wolverhampton.
Funding and scope
The GIC has secured £27 million in capital funding from UK Government and the West Midlands Combined Authority. The scheme holds West Midlands Investment Zone status, designed to attract investment and create jobs in green construction, engineering, and digital technologies.
Funding will be used for site preparation and preconstruction works, including clearance and land remediation. This will create development-ready sites for prospective developers to design and build on.
Jobs and development
When fully developed, Six Mile Green will host up to 600 high-quality jobs and apprenticeships in clean tech, sustainable construction, cyber security, and green manufacturing and engineering. An additional 100 jobs will be created or supported during construction of over 12,000 square metres of innovation and commercial buildings, providing flexible space for start-ups, growing companies, and established firms.
The GIC will connect key assets at the University's Springfield Campus, Science Park, and the i54 advanced manufacturing business park, which is the country's most successful Enterprise Zone.
Council and university backing
Councillor Stephen Simkins, City of Wolverhampton Council Leader, said the contractor appointment will "kick start the Green Innovation Corridor development at Six Mile Green" and support efforts to secure businesses for the GIC.
Dr Pete Cross, Chief Operating Officer at University of Wolverhampton, described Six Mile Green as "a key part of our shared ambition for the Green Innovation Corridor" and said the next step brings the project closer to creating development-ready space for businesses in green construction, advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies.