i54 western extension enters new phase
An expansion of a major West Midlands business park has moved into the next phase with preparation for factory platforms and services infrastructure works starting.
It follows the early completion of works to create an access road at i54 South Staffordshire – on the county border with the City of Wolverhampton.
The western extension will deliver up to 100,000 sq m of development platforms. It is anticipated new occupiers could start arriving from 2022.
The current i54 site has a workforce of around 2,700 people, with half of the jobs held by people living within a ten-mile radius.
City of Wolverhampton Council, Staffordshire County Council and South Staffordshire Council have agreed a funding and delivery strategy for the first 60 acres of the extension.
City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, Councillor Harman Banger, said: “This is welcome news at what is otherwise a very difficult time for all due to the coronavirus pandemic. i54 plays a big part in the lives of many families in the City of Wolverhampton and Staffordshire and we are determined to deliver the i54 western extension, which we see as critical to the long-term recovery of our local economy after the crisis.
“Our joint investment at i54 has secured hundreds of millions of pounds of further investment and has brought thousands of jobs to the area, with half of employees living within a ten-mile radius. We are now building on the success of what is already one of the UK’s premier advanced manufacturing business parks.
