Developers’ forum to explore city centre opportunities

A FORUM designed to explore commercial opportunities in Wolverhampton for developers, landowners and agents is being hosted next month.

The council has invited 80 local private sector companies to take in a tour of the city and meet with chief executive Simon Warren and leader Cllr Roger Lawrence to discuss ways of unlocking the commercial potential of the city centre.

The authority said it wanted the event on June 2 to be the start of a more productive relationship between itself and the commercial sector.

It says it hopes the forum will foster new ways of working with developers to get their ideas on possible viable city centre schemes.

The forum is intended to be the start of a concerted programme of activities focused on regenerating the city centre and it follows the collapse in January of the £300m ‘Summer Row’ regeneration scheme.

Following an economic assessment of the proposed retail, leisure and residential project by Belfast developer Multi, the council decided to withdraw its planned funding for the project.

Cllr Peter Bilson, cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: “Delivering the physical transformation particularly of the city centre represents the biggest challenge facing Wolverhampton but it’s also the city’s most important opportunity.

“It will be a huge undertaking especially against the current economic backdrop.

“That’s why we’re determined to take on board the insights and perspectives of developers at the earliest opportunity so that together, we can shape a strategy that is both commercially realistic and deliverable.”