Wolverhampton City Council has appointed development contractor McPhillips to build a new facility on Hickman Avenue that will house the council's fleet services, taxi licensing operation and travel unit. Council services are expected to move into the new building from the end of 2027.
The relocation will free up two key city centre sites currently occupied by council operations. The Culwell Street depot, home to the council's fleet services, and the former Loxdale Primary School, which houses the taxi licensing operation, will be cleared for redevelopment as part of the Brewers Yard regeneration masterplan.
Why the council is relocating
The move consolidates council operations into a single location to improve efficiencies and reduce energy costs. Bringing the fleet services, taxi licensing and travel unit together will also support the council's transition to electric vehicles and reduce its carbon footprint. Renewable energy technologies will be incorporated into the new facility to help power the electric fleet and lower operating costs.
Housing and regeneration plans
Once the Culwell Street and Loxdale Primary School sites are vacated and the existing buildings demolished, the land will be remediated and prepared for housing development. The completed Brewers Yard scheme will include a mixture of houses and apartments, alongside new retail and commercial space. The development is featured in the council's Our Future City Centre Plan and will be located close to the city's new transport Interchange, providing direct access to Birmingham, London and Manchester.
Jobs and construction
The relocation and redevelopment works will create hundreds of construction jobs across both the Culwell Street depot and former Loxdale Primary School sites.
Councillor Qaiser Azeem, Cabinet Member for Resident Services, said: "The new purpose built depot will enable the relocation of important council services to a more suitable base. This is also a critical step in bringing forward the regeneration of a strategically important brownfield site through the Brewers Yard scheme to deliver huge benefits in terms of jobs, investment and homes that will help rejuvenate our city centre."
Andrew Dunham, McPhillips Director, said: "Once this facility is built, the council can move its services across and get on with building new homes on the land they leave behind. That means more homes, more construction work and more jobs for local businesses and local people."