Consultation showcases master plan to redevelop Wolverhampton city centre

A public consultation session at the Way Youth Centre on School Street on Saturday gave people the chance to see the new plans to help redevelop and revive the west side of Wolverhampton in a project named City Centre West.

The area has been identified by Wolverhampton Council as a priority location for brownfield regeneration amd features prominently in the Wolverhampton Investment Prospectus as the city’s largest regeneration opportunity and identified as part of the City Centre Local Area Action Plan.

Members of ECF, a public-private partnership between Homes England, Legal & General and Muse, were on hand to chat to residents and business holders about the plans, with boards up and around the room and a 3D map in the middle of the room also describing the plans.

The master plan, which is being done in partnership with ECF and Wolverhampton Council, aims to deliver up to 1,000 new homes, including affordable homes, and also showcase options for phase one of the scheme, an enhanced Market Square with green spaces.

During the course of the master plan, opportunities for new shops, cafes, and restaurants will also be included, with potential for outdoor seating.

The Council and ECF have entered into a Development Agreement to bring forward proposals for City Centre West, which features prominently in the Wolverhampton Investment Prospectus and the City Centre Local Area Action Plan.

The release of the masterplan follows an initial period of engagement in July, which helped finalise the vision.

Councillor Chris Burden, cabinet member for city development, jobs, and skills at Wolverhampton Council, said: “The proposed masterplan is the result of significant collaboration between ECF and the Council, but also residents who have offered their perspectives on the opportunities ahead.

“City Centre West is an opportunity to put people at the heart of the city with new homes, shops, cafes or restaurants."

Basit Ali, development director at Midlands at Muse, development partner in ECF, said: "We've had lots of feedback from different parts of the community and what the main themes have been is to encourage more footfall in this part of Wolverhampton city centre as part of the city's visitor economy drive, as well as trying to create a vibrant city centre.

"Local people have also said that they want to see city centre living, so new homes, public spaces, additional opportunities for food and drink spaces and promoting SME's as well as make Market Square the centre point.

"We see Market Square as the beating heart of this transformational master plan and the whole idea is a work in progress to sort of build and revive the city centre.

"Phase one, which we're hoping comes on site in 2025 with the planning application going in later this year, will be the start of that phased redevelopment of the brownfield area of the city centre and it's going to be an exciting time."

The next consultation session will take place from 12p to 7pm at the Urban Room at 18 Queen Square on Wednesday.

To find out more about the plan, go to the City Centre West website.