Questions raised over Wolverhampton 'city' living brochure

Wolverhampton Council sent the glossy document to Cabinet ministers Michael Gove and Robert Jenrick as part of proposals for a government department to relocate to the West Midlands.

The move would be considered a major boost for Wolverhampton and could see up to 450 London-based staff from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) relocate to the city.

But as well as selling the city, it also pointed out that it was surrounded by beautiful countryside and raises the possibility that people moving to work in Wolverhampton could opt for a more rural lifestyle in nearby places like Wombourne in South Staffordshire or Bridgnorth in Shropshire.

The Unleashing Wolverhampton's Potential brochure also referenced city areas such as Bilston Urban Village and leafy Penn as places to live.

But Conservative councillor Simon Bennett questioned why the council was attempting to "attract civil servants to work here by encouraging them to live outside the area".

He said: "Having a Government department relocate to our city would be a fantastic boost to the local economy, so it is astounding that the council are essentially saying ‘Don’t worry, you won’t actually have to live in the city!’

"There are some fantastic places to live in Wolverhampton, such as Tettenhall, Bushbury or Wednesfield.

"We should encourage anyone to come and live and work in Wolverhampton."

The joint bid has received cross party support and is backed by Conservative MP Stuart Anderson, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street and Labour MP Pat McFadden, as well as business leaders.

Wolverhampton Council Leader, Councillor Ian Brookfield, said: “City of Wolverhampton Council worked closely with Stuart Anderson MP and Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street on a joint submission – 59 pages in total – detailing the many reasons why Wolverhampton would be a fantastic location for a Government department to relocate to.

“The submission specifically promotes a range of living options including city centre, city region and suburban as it is natural for people to look at the surrounding areas of a location when they move.

“One of the many selling points about Wolverhampton is that it is a vibrant young city with close proximity to the countryside – making it easily commutable for work, shopping and leisure.

“Our focus remains on attracting new investment to the city and I hope that everyone can unite in achieving this aim during what remains a very challenging period due to the ongoing pandemic.”

The i9 development has been touted as a potential office location for the MHCLG.