Funding agreed for start of green corridor

Up to £7m is to be spent on preparing four sites within Wolverhampton's Green Innovation Corridor (GIC) for developers.

The corridor will connect the University of Wolverhampton's Springfield campus, Science Park, and the i54 advanced manufacturing business park.

The money had been set aside to kickstart the GIC, described as "a new era of clean, green, technology-led manufacturing" and on Thursday it was agreed by the West Midlands mayor at the region's Investment Zone board meeting that it can be handed over.

Four brownfield sites close to the university's science park will now be made "shovel-ready for new investors", the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) said.

The sites, known as Six Mile Green, will be in "the heart" of the GIC, which is a joint project with the City of Wolverhampton Council and University of Wolverhampton.

When fully developed they will host up to 600 jobs and apprenticeships in clean-tech, sustainable construction, cyber security, and green manufacturing and engineering, the authority said.

Mayor Richard Parker said it will be "at the cutting edge of sustainable, tech-led manufacturing, helping position our region as the best place for forward-looking businesses to invest and innovate".

A further 100 jobs will be created or supported during construction of 12,000 sqm of "innovation and commercial buildings" that will include space for start-ups, growing companies and larger premises for established firms, officials have said.

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