£270k Wolverhampton walk and cycle plan approved

The plan will see better links between 'early priority' areas such as Wolverhampton's Interchange, the university, Molineux, and the Springfield Brewery site, where work is currently underway to build the new campus of the West Midlands Universal Training College. The campus will open in September next year.

Previously named the Public Realm Project, it is now to be known as City Centre Connected Places Strategy, and was first touted in the city centre regeneration strategy in 2012.

The strategy, which was approved by cabinet on Wednesday, will cost £270,000 to develop, with £40,000 to come from existing city development budgets and the remainder to come from the regeneration reserve.

The scheme aims to improve connectivity between strategic developments, as well as improving safety and security, and integrating new and improved car parking.

Councillor John Reynolds, cabinet member for city economy, said: "Different areas of the city have developed in different ways over the years.

"The university area is like an education sector, the Civic Halls and Grand Theatre are something of an entertainment sector, the college, Adult Education Service and library form another education centre.

"Our aim is to join all these areas up so people can find their way between them easily by foot and bicycle.

"The new multi-million West Midlands Construction UTC on the former Springfield Brewery site will ultimately have 600 students from across the region so it is essential we connect these areas up to help anyone unfamiliar with city get around."

A low carbon project is being developed with the university in a bid to get funding from local growth funds and the European Regional Development Fund, to link the Springfield Brewery campus with the Interchange through better and safer pedestrian and cycle access.

The quality of the public realm is an extremely important factor in the attraction of the city centre, the report says, and if the environment is not improved this could have an adverse impact on businesses.

The council and its partners will also risk reputational damage if they do not tackle areas in need of improvement, it says.

Some of the city's most significant sites generating footfall are outside the ring road, such as the university's Molineux campus and Wolves' football ground, as are major regeneration opportunities such as the Royal Hospital site and the Canalside development area.

The report says: "Linkage between these sites and the city centre core needs to be improved, it needs to be made more safe, clearly identifiable and comfortable to navigate if the growth potential of the city is to be realised."

Public consultation was carried out as part of the previous City Centre Transportation and Public Realm Improvement project,and early phases of this work included improving the link between the city centre and Interchange, and the ongoing work on the road and pavements in Queen Street, Market Street, Princess Street, and Garrick Street,

The report details the predicted costs, with commissioning the strategy and framework for delivery £100,000; updating the Molineux Quarter master plan £45,000; project management support £40,000; the car parking strategy £65,000; while other detailed strategy support and surveys of Springfield Brewery, for example, which are 'essential for external funding bids', will cost £20,000.