Wolverhampton College sets 2018 target for new campus

Mark Robertson, who has led a remarkable turnaround at the college in the last three years, said: "We are thrilled and delighted that growth money is going to support the development of a new city centre-located campus for the college."

The college aims to move out of its existing Paget Road home and into its new state-of-the-art city centre base ready to admit students in three years.

Plans are still at an early stage – the Page Road site is not yet on the market and the college is still assessing potential sites in the city centre – but Mr Robertson said the 2018 was the firm target date for opening the new campus.

He said the college, which caters for 11,000 students, was receiving strong support from the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership, which oversees the Growth Fund, and from Wolverhampton Council.

The college has also benefited from an Ofsted inspection late last year that praised it for raising standards two and a half years after it was branded 'inadequate'. It is now classed as 'good' with a number of outstanding features.

The college is one of the main beneficiaries among a string of projects across the Black Country, including housing schemes and the light rail innovation centre which is expected to create around 50 jobs in a link-up between Dudley College and Warwick Manufacturing Group.

Money will also go towards infrastructure and improvements to public spaces to kick-start major developments which have stalled due to market conditions in Dudley town centre gateway and bring up to 500 jobs to the town

There will also be additional funding for business grants, infrastructure schemes to open up development sites and engineering equipment for training providers.

David Cameron said: "Because the money will be in the control of a partnership of local community, business and civic leaders it means it will go on the things that really matter to people and businesses here.

"That is what Growth Deals are all about, backing local people and investing in the infrastructure, housing and skills that will drive forward local economies, create more jobs and opportunities for hardworking people and supercharge all parts of our country."

Councillor Darren Cooper, chairman of the Black Country Joint Committee, LEP board member and leader of Sandwell Council, said: "The Black Country Growth Deal is a testament to our Black Country vision and strong partnership. The additional investment announced will boost the quality of life in the Black Country by creating more jobs and building additional homes."

Additional Growth Fund cash for Staffordshire and the Greater Birmingham area will also mean redevelopment work around Kidderminster Railway station, improvements to Rugeley town centre and regeneration of Friarsgate, in Lichfield, for retail and leisure.