Jobs pledge over Wolverhampton's Goodyear land
Bosses at Wolverhampton council say they want to keep the soon to be closed Goodyear factory as an 'employment site', as fears mount that it may be turned into housing.
The Bushbury Lane plant is due to close in 2017 with the loss of 330 jobs. Residents had raised concerns that the site may be turned into housing but the council's strategic director, Tim Johnson, has said he wants to the site to remain as a 'quality employment site'.
He said: "We are working to bring forward a future use for the site and would like to retain it as a quality employment site. It's slightly too early to say what the site might be but we know that a lot work has been done to clear up the site in the past.
"Realistically it may be in five years time that the site is redeveloped and becomes a new generator of employment opportunities."
But Mr Johnson admitted the council is yet to sit down with the site's owner, local regeneration firm St. Modwen, to discuss the future of the site.
He added: "Frankly we haven't done the work and sat down with the site owner. We will talk with the site owner and develop a plan."