New engineering hub in the heart of Wolverhampton gets go-ahead
Planning permission has been granted to develop new facilities at the University of Wolverhampton’s Springfield Campus to house a state-of-the-art engineering hub.
The work - a collaboration between the university and Wolverhampton Council - is part of the pioneering Green Innovation Corridor (GIC) and will enable the university to "maximise opportunities for research and development, growth, commercialisation, collaboration, diversification and engagement with businesses".
Work on stripping down and extending 'Block A' will see a purpose-built facility built fronting Grimstone Street close to Wolverhampton city centre.
The works are due to be completed by the end of the year, with the university's engineering faculty relocating from its current Telford campus base, concentrating resources within Wolverhampton.
The Department of Engineering spans a wide selection of professional engineering disciplines including Mechanical, Motorsport and Automotive, Aerospace, and Chemical Engineering,
They will benefit from new live project workshops, laboratories and design and collaboration space.
Councillor Chris Burden, Wolverhampton Council's cabinet member for city development, jobs and skills, said: “The transformation of this vacant heritage building into a new teaching facility will significantly contribute to the furthering of the wider campus’s capabilities, its reputation and its magnetism as a tech hub for the Black Country and West Midlands.
“It will act as a gateway for and support the ambitions of the Wolverhampton Green Innovation Corridor, delivering long-term cultural, educational, and environmental benefits.
“The GIC will build upon Wolverhampton’s sustainable construction, green credentials and circular economy, helping create quality jobs and training opportunities for people in the area.”
Dr Pete Cross, chief operating officer at the University of Wolverhampton, said: “We are delighted full planning permission and listed building consent have been granted for the redevelopment of Block A at our Springfield Campus.
"This marks another significant step forward in realising our vision for a world‑class centre for education, innovation, and skills at the historic former Springfield Brewery site and at the heart of the GIC.
“It is a key component of the next phase of transformation, and this approval allows us to preserve and sensitively enhance an important heritage building while creating modern, flexible teaching and learning spaces for our students and partners.
"We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with the City of Wolverhampton Council and project partners as we move toward the next stages of delivery.”
The GIC connects key assets at the University of Wolverhampton’s Springfield Campus, Science Park, and the i54 advanced manufacturing business park – the country’s most successful Enterprise Zone.
The corridor will be delivered in phases and is backed by £27 million in capital funding from UK Government and the West Midlands Combined Authority, attaining West Midlands Investment Zone status to attract further investment and create jobs focused on green construction, engineering, and digital technologies.
