Work begins on new £61m Wolverhampton campus

Work has begun to erect the steel framework on the new £61m city centre college campus in Wolverhampton.

City Learning Quarter partners and students come together to sign the first steels for the new city centre campus - Alex Omelchuk, Turner & Townsend Project Manager, Anna Place, Adult Education Wolverhampton Deputy Head of Service, David Byrne, McLaughlin & Harvey Ltd Operations Manager, City of Wolverhampton College students Ellaika Antonius, Level 3 IT, aged 19, and Doina Surchicin, Level 1 IT, 16, Cllr Chris Burden, City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, Peter Merry, City of Wolverhampton College Deputy Chief Executive,Ninder Johal DL, Wolverhampton City Investment Board Chair, and Councillor Stephen Simkins, City of Wolverhampton Council Leader

The work is part of the council's transformational Phase Two City Learning Quarter master plan and incorporates a site on the corner of Garrick Street and Bilston Street where the former Faces nightclub building once stood.

Utilising City of Wolverhampton College’s existing Metro One building, strip-out, demolition, ground preparation and piling works have now been completed and the foundations are in place, with contractor McLaughlin & Harvey on course to deliver the new state-of-the-art facility in time for the start

Alongside improved adult education, Wolverhampton and Central Library facilities, the £61 million scheme – supported by Government funding - will establish new educational provision to enhance skills and employment prospects for residents across the city and wider region.

Work is also progressing well on Phase One of the City Learning Quarter masterplan which will see a new £8.1 million Advanced Technology and Automotive Centre at the college’s Wellington Road campus – which is due to be completed in July and funded by West Midlands Combined Authority and Sustainability West Midlands.

Wolverhampton Council leader, councillor Stephen Simkins said: “The City Learning Quarter has been a long-held ambition of the city council and the steels being erected for the college campus building is a major step towards the creation of a vibrant education hub that will unlock future opportunities for all in the city.

“We are working hard with City of Wolverhampton College to ensure we improve the city’s learning, apprenticeship and employment offers, and retain our best talent, rather than losing people to different parts of the region.

“The new facilities will provide a vital facelift to our city centre and will be an inspirational environment for people to learn in, also offering excellent connectivity to rail, bus, tram and cycle routes.

Mal Cowgill, Principal and CEO at City of Wolverhampton College, said: “Installation of the first steels is a significant milestone in the construction of the new campus and great news for the city, the college and the hundreds of students, apprentices, staff, employers and local people who will benefit from its first-class training facilities for many years to come.

"We are extremely grateful for the support of the council and other partners in the development of the new campus and are looking forward to seeing the building take shape and the long-held vision finally becoming a reality.

Stuart Anderson, MP for Wolverhampton South West, said: “I am immensely proud of the City Learning Quarter project. With substantial funding from the Towns Fund, the Levelling Up Fund, and the Department for Education, as well as additional support from the college

and City of Wolverhampton Council.

"With this, we are set to transform education in Wolverhampton and this investment will profoundly impact the future of our children and the wider community for generations to come.”