Funding for green innovation sites set to be approved
Plans to develop four derelict brownfield sites in Wolverhampton into a green manufacturing hub are set to take a significant step forward, with the release of a £6.25m grant poised for approval next week.
The city council-backed Six Mile Green is set to transform two-and-a-half-acres of derelict Brownfield land near the University of Wolverhampton Science Park, earmarked for an ‘Innovation District’ focused on green construction, engineering, and digital technologies.
Almost 130,000 sq ft of business space could be created by the project, which the local authority hopes will encourage green industries, advanced manufacturing, and R&D operations to set up shop in the city.
A hybrid planning application for the scheme was approved earlier this year, and an initial grant of £750,000 has already been spent on surveys and due diligence for the project, part of a £7m award for the scheme agreed by West Midlands Combined Authority in 2024.
City of Wolverhampton Council now needs to create a capital budget to draw down the remainder of grant funding, a move which is poised for approval at a cabinet meeting next week.
A contract for project management is also set to be awarded to Leeds-based Turner and Townsend, set to run until December 2028 for a total contract value of £581,000.
If approved, the funds will be used to clean up two of the more difficult plots at Six Mile Green, which the council says are “densely vegetated” and contain potentially hazardous material.
“The purpose of these works is to address site constraints to create serviced development ready plots that will improve attractiveness and commercial viability for future potential private sector development partners to complete construction of buildings on site,” said a report set to go before cabinet.
“While the enabling works themselves do not directly create new public facing facilities or services, they form a critical early stage in preparing the site for future Class E development. The completed enabling works will support the delivery of future uses that can be designed to be inclusive, accessible and responsive to meet the needs of all communities.”
The project is part of a wider initiative known as the Green Innovation Corridor, which has been backed with capital funding from the UK Government and the West Midlands Combined Authority to the tune of £27m. The scheme has also attained West Midlands Investment Zone status to attract investment.
