MP says £55 million Wolverhampton Westside development should focus on homes not leisure

Plans for Wolverhampton's £55 million Westside development should be redrawn to focus on homes instead of leisure, an MP has said.

An artist's impression of how the Westside development will look

Conservative Jane Stevenson said Labour-run Wolverhampton Council needed to "think again" on the project and build more houses and flats in the city centre instead of trying to be another Bentley Bridge.

But Labour has argued Westside already contains some city centre living plans and said the MP should be championing the city in Parliament to secure further funding.

The development is set to include a cinema chain, a hotel, restaurants and bars, multi-storey car park and apartments and will be based in the large area off Salop Street.

Ms Stevenson, MP for Wolverhampton North East, said: "We all accept that city centre living is the way forward in Wolverhampton. Shops and businesses are on their knees due to the damage that has been inflicted on the city centre over the decades, and we desperately need to increase footfall.

"I have long argued that Wolverhampton Council should focus its Westside project more on providing housing rather than try to replicate the offer at Bentley Bridge, but without the free parking.

The area around Salop Street is being transformed

"I am urging Wolverhampton Council to think again, and to redraw its Westside plans to match what other cities and towns across the country are doing – build more houses and apartments in the city centre."

Labour Councillor Stephen Simkins, deputy leader of Wolverhampton Council, said the authority had prioritised city centre living and asked why the MP hasn't championed the city further to get them the cash for city-wide projects.

He said: "If Ms Stevenson looked at the Westside scheme she'd see city living is incorporated in it. We've got the likes of the old Sunbeam building, the old BT offices, Beatties in the city centre, which will all be city centre living developments.

"We want to encourage late night entertainment (with Westside) down there in a big massive square which has always been underutilised. "

Councillor Simkins added the MP should put the city's case to the House of Commons and ensure Wolverhampton receives the cash it needs to finish the development all at once instead of "cobbled, patchwork funding patches from the Government".

"We want to crack on with the job. Criticise us, I'm fine with that, but support us when we need support," he added.