£20m bid goes in to boost City Learning Quarter regeneration scheme

City of Wolverhampton Council has bid for £20m from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund to help deliver its City Learning Quarter scheme.

The bid is supported by Wolverhampton South West MP Stuart Anderson and the scheme has been consulted on extensively, and planning approval is in place.

The City Learning Quarter will be situated around the Old Hall Street and St. George’s Parade area of the city centre, incorporating a shovel-ready site on the corner of Garrick Street and Bilston Street, where the former Faces nightclub building once stood.

The purpose-built education facility will be set over 10,000 sq m and will provide a state-of-the-art learning hub.

The facilities will also see investment in the building and public realm around them. They will include City of Wolverhampton College’s Metro One Campus, the council’s Adult Education Service and Central Library.

It will also pave the way for City of Wolverhampton College to move from its Paget Road site, which has been identified as land to build housing.

The council says the City Learning Quarter will generate and safeguard 750 jobs.

The for CLQ have been supported by an initial £6.2m investment from the council and Black Country LEP, which has enabled design work, site surveys and ground investigations, site acquisition and clearance to be completed.

Cllr Stephen Simkins, deputy leader and cabinet member for city economy, said: “The City Learning Quarter will have a visible and tangible impact on the City of Wolverhampton and its residents, making a massive difference to everyday life through direct investment in skills and education.

“We are working hard with City of Wolverhampton College to ensure we not only deliver a vibrant education hub where we improve the city’s learning, apprenticeship and employment offers, but also that we retain our best talent, rather than losing people to different parts of the region.

“The new facilities will provide a vital facelift as we re-imagine our city centre, which is benefiting from £1bn of investment overall.

“The City Learning Quarter will be an inspirational environment for people to learn in and will offer excellent connectivity to rail, bus, tram and cycle.

“I have every confidence that when our plans become a reality, we will be creating an environment where everyone can flourish.

“It demonstrates the commitment this city has to investing in its citizens – not just buildings.”

The government announced a £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund (LUF) as part of the Spring Budget in March 2021. The fund will provide investment into infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport infrastructure, and investing in cultural and heritage assets.

A decision on the funding allocations is expected to be announced this autumn.

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