Wolverhampton has arrived at 'seminal' moment - construction boss

Anthony McCourt, chief executive of Court Collaboration, which will lead on the 1,100-home Brewers Yard project, said several ambitious schemes would change the face of the city over the next decade.

Mr McCourt, whose firm will also build the One Eastside building in Birmingham, which will become the tallest in the West Midlands, was speaking at the Wolverhampton Business Breakfast, where the first phase of Brewers Yard was officially signed off by the council.

He praised the authority's "can-do" attitude which he said was crucial to allowing development to progress unhindered.

Brewers Yard will see a vast area of land near the old Springfield Brewery brought to life, featuring modern high-rise apartments, homes, shops and restaurants either side of tree-lined walkways.

It is one of several major schemes planned, with others including the Westside city centre masterplan and train station rebuild and link up to the Midland Metro.

Mr McCourt told the conference: "This council has a can-do attitude, the city welcomes entrepreneurship. We have been welcomed with open arms with Brewers Yard.

"It is one of the only local authorities which has asked us 'are we doing enough, are we making the most of what Brewers Yard can be?'. We're used to councils saying we're doing too much, we're going too tall.

"Every city goes through a seminal moment in its history. This is a time when extreme courage, grit and ambition is needed and this is Wolverhampton's time.

"We already have the West Midlands Combined Authority standing behind us financially so we can make this happen and not cut corners to deliver something we think Wolverhampton desperately needs and desperately deserves."

Court Collaboration will now begin pre-planning application discussions with Wolverhampton Council and work is set to start on the site next year.