Property consultants move back to Wolverhampton with 100 staff

And bosses at RPS are hoping for further growth and to find space for new apprentices as they re-open their former offices on the Tettenhall Road.

RPS employs around 2,000 people across the UK and Ireland, and 5,000 around the world, and the Wolverhampton office will be handling architecture, civil engineering, building services and landscape architecture services.

It is being staffed with around 100 people who have moved across from the firm's former offices in Quinton, in Birmingham.

Alan Green, managing director for design, said: “It is great to bring RPS back to the city, we have a lot of history here and are thrilled to be able to open a Wolverhampton base which will further strengthen our West Midlands presence, bring jobs into the area and build upon our strong relationships with local clients.

“I think this is a positive move for both us and the city, and we hope to be able to contribute to its exciting future.”

Mr Green was originally a partner at Mason Richards Partnership, which had been based in the same offices in Salisbury House, on Tettenhall Road. The firm was acquired by RPS in 2004 and moved from Wolverhampton to Quinton about five years ago. The offices were later occupied by Tarmac until the concrete business moved in to the new i10 building in the city centre.

For RPS, the end of the lease on its Quinton offices provided the opportunity to move back to Wolverhampton, said Mr Green. "We're very pleased to be back; it's a bit like coming home. We are hoping to establish links with the university in the city and looking to take on some apprentices as part of our expansion plans."

Wolverhampton council's deputy leader, Councillor Peter Bilson, has offered a warm welcome to the new arrivals: “It is great news that we have been able to attract an international company like RPS back to the city.

“Regeneration in the city is being driven by £3.7 billion of investment either on site or in the pipeline – making us an attractive location for businesses.

“Most importantly, the return of RPS will provide vital job opportunities for our residents.”