Vision to transform Wolverhampton backed by government department, says leader
A council leader has hailed the Government's Levelling Up department for "coming on board" with their vision of how Wolverhampton could be transformed.
Councillor Ian Brookfield said he was "really pleased" they had listened and recognised the council knows what it's talking about in terms of regeneration plans.
And he said people in the department perhaps had their "heads screwed on a little bit better" than others – and they had backed the Our City: Our Plan vision for the future.
Councillor Brookfield, speaking at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, said: "It's probably one of the only areas of Government who've perhaps got their heads screwed on a little bit better than some of the others.
"Why do I say that? Because they've absolutely recognised that our city, our council, knows what it's talking about (over) Levelling Up and how they should be coming to us to see what it actually means and how it should be delivered to the people.
"We know the history of our city, our town, our village. We know why places like this, with its history in the Industrial Revolution, ended up being I guess as problematic and as deprived as it was and it is now.
"We've always know that and we've always known the ways of being able to tackle that and yet we've never had help from, let's be honest, absolutely anyone – certainly in the last decade – to tackle that so I''m really pleased that we've been recognised by the Government."
The Our City: Our Plan vision outlines six overarching areas for the city moving forward to help "Wulfrunians will live longer, healthier lives". These include a focus on children's development, quality health and social care, healthy and "inclusive" communities, good homes in well-connected neighbourhoods, good jobs and training and a thriving economy.
Councillor Brookfield said the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) had "absolutely" agreed it was the right way to go – as he outlined the authority's commitment to people in the city.
"There will always be some people out there, some purists out there who are thinking 'do not even talk to the Government, it's of a different shade'," he said.
"Well that's not us. We will do whatever we can and speak to whoever is out there if it benefits one person in the city, why wouldn't we? And especially when they are certainly coming on board to what our vision is of Levelling Up."
Wolverhampton Council was previously successful in its bid for £20 million for its City Learning Quarter scheme in the city centre, which will see a state-of-the-art college campus built on the site of the former Faces nightclub.
And in June this year it was revealed there were two further bids in the pipeline which will be made during the second round of funding.
The Wolverhampton South East bid, signed off by Pat McFadden MP, is for a health and wellbeing centre in Bilston, while in Wolverhampton North East Jane Stevenson MP is backing plans to create a ‘green corridor’ from Springfield Campus to the Science Park.
