In Brief: City wins grant funding for congestion relief; Region’s economy ‘will need Government help’ to navigate a no-deal Brexit; and more
City of Wolverhampton Council has secured funding from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to help improve air quality in the city.
The £228,000 grant will be used to monitor and improve traffic flows and reduce congestion.
Defra has also given the West Midlands Combined Authority £3m to improve emissions of the bus fleet which will be delivered by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM).
As part of the National Air Quality Strategy Defra has identified certain busy roads in Wolverhampton as having a continued breach of the National Air Quality Limit for Nitrogen Dioxide.
The proposed measures required for improvement include traffic signal upgrades, widening of busy routes on the ring road and reviewing layouts to reduce congestion, improve traffic flow and air quality.
Identified routes include Bilston Street Island, Ring Road/Broad Street, and Horseley Fields/Corn Hill.
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A group of West Midlands business, trade union and political leaders have joined forces to map out what support the regional economy will need to successfully navigate a no-deal Brexit.
Meeting in Birmingham, the Brexit Economic Contingency Group said substantial Government support would be needed to help meet the challenges of a no-deal departure on local companies.
Business leaders stressed the need for clear communication and practical support around what will change on March 29 in terms of export rules and other trade legislation. The meeting also called for an acceleration of existing investment designed to grow and strengthen the economy.
Chaired by Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, the cross-party Group is planning the region-wide response to Brexit, enabling business and the unions to give their views on what is needed to maintain recent economic success.
The group said regional contingency plans being explored include:
• Help for any manufacturers who might need to stockpile and store raw materials and components
• Short-term loans to those businesses hit by cash flow problems
• Stepping up investment in infrastructure projects and ensuring road and rail links operate effectively
• Securing a stable workforce supply
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Principle Estate Management has won a contract to manage a Birmingham property group’s apartment block in the Black Country.
The MIA Property Group owns Sovereign Heights, a 22-unit apartment block in Dudley, built by David Wilson Homes around 12 years ago.
MIA, based in Moseley, has appointed Principle to look after the apartments along with a portfolio of 123 freehold ground rents on five additional sites across the West Midlands.
Brett Williams, the managing director of Principle, sold the freeholds of four of the six sites to MIA some ten years ago when working in a previous role.
Principle Estate Management was launched earlier this year by Williams, the former head of residential property management at CPBigwood in Birmingham.
